Back In My Arms
by euyevia
Summary: Drunk off of wine coolers in Rachel Berry's basement - what could possibly go wrong? What would have happened if Rachel's spin had landed on Quinn and not Blaine? Can Santana and Brittany help get Quinn and Rachel to admit their feelings for each together? Will Quinn and Rachel be able to get their friends to do the same? If Faberry was canon in season 2.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my ideas. _Glee _and all its characters belong to its writers and creators.

**A/N1: **_Many_ spoilers for season 2 (If you've been living under a rock and haven't seen it already)

**A/N2:** This is my first attempt at writing a fic. I have had these ideas in the back of my head for a while now and decided to finally get them down! All reviews, follows and favourites are greatly appreciated and welcomed :) I have the story planned out in my head and I've started writing the next couple of chapters - hopefully will update later tonight. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Blame It on the Alcohol**

Approaching the Berry residence, Quinn couldn't help but question why she was there. She had decided to walk as she only lived a few blocks away and didn't want to risk driving home if she got drunk. The, as Mercedes had dubbed it, 'Rachel Berry House Party Train Wreck Extravaganza' was certain to be a disaster. For one, she and Sam had just broken up and he had already moved on to Santana of all people, so they were definitely going to be all over each other because she knew Santana would just _love_ to get back at her for everything Quinn had done this year. Two, the last time she had attended a party, she had ended up falling pregnant. And three, it was hosted by Rachel Berry; the same Rachel Berry that had an unhealthy fascination with argyle and knee high socks and who never stepped out of line. At least that would mean that she wouldn't get drunk and do something she regretted, seeing as there was no way Rachel would risk getting caught drinking underage in her own home by her fathers.

The cold chill of the crisp night air nipped at the nape of her neck, softly flittering her knee-lengthed dress and curled hair in the breeze, as she approached the front porch. Goose bumps formed on her skin- due to her nerves of entering Rachel's home for the first time or the cold Quinn wasn't sure. Wrapping her denim jacket around her more tightly, she reached out to ring the bell but opted to try and twist the door knob instead. She found that it was indeed left open, and continued to enter the surprisingly warm and homely house. Photos littered the mantle above the fireplace in the living room and decorated the hallway walls too, with many of them displaying Rachel from her childhood, and a few with two men - one tall and African American, and the other half his size wearing glasses, with a complexion similar to Rachel's. In many of the photos, Rachel was standing in the middle of the pair, with a giant smile adorning her face that was also present on, who Quinn deduced and assumed to be, her Dads'. Quinn couldn't help but turn away from them as thoughts of her own family and their photos came to mind. To a stranger, the Fabray's would have appeared happy in the photographs, but Quinn knew first hand that the smiles placated on their faces weren't genuine. Far from it in fact, especially her own.

A low dull murmuring and what sounded like quiet elevator music crept through the hallway from the basement. Walking towards the top of the basement stairs, Quinn was met with a creepy life-sized portrait of the short diva staring at her. It was then she realised that her premonitions were confirmed. Rachel stood at the foot of the stairs in a pale green floor-lengthed dress with a white lace frilling on around its midsection and edging that looked as if it belonged in the 1920's. _Where did she get that from? Her great grandmother's_? After Rachel finished welcoming Kurt, Blaine and Finn into her Dad's Oscar Room the flash of long blonde hair caught her eye and she jumped forward to greet her new visitor.

"Hey girlfriend! Having fun?" Rachel asked cheerfully, placing one hand on her hip and giving one of her famous dazzling Broadway smiles.

Quinn was momentarily struck with a weird fluttering inside her chest but quickly stood straight and waved it off. _Did she just call me girlfriend? _Blinking slowly she ignored it and maintained her nonchalant composure._ She must already be drunk_.

"Yeah, awesome party," Quinn replied flatly as she walked past Rachel and picked up a drink ticket. She wasted no time in attempting to drink away her sorrows and prayed that someone would save her and this party from its inevitable impending doom.

_Why am I here? Seriously, why? I mean, she knows Sam just dumped me and now he's hooking up with Santana right in front of me. And Berry has the nerve to ask me if I'm 'having fun?' This is going to be a loooong night._

"You have to let me break into your Dad's liquor cabinet!" She heard Puck pleadingly whisper to Rachel.

_Oh thank God. Puck to the rescue._ If he was reliable for one thing, it was throwing a great party.

The party then started with Rachel's shockingly blasé music being replaced by The Far East Movement's 'Like a G6' booming through the surround sound speakers. Body shots were being taken, People began stripping, and soon everybody fell into their drunken archetypes. Santana was acting bi polar, yelling at Sam one minute and then making out with him the next and Rachel constantly hung all over Finn.

She didn't know why but all Quinn wanted to do was punch someone in the face.

* * *

As the bottle spun rapidly in the center of the circle of drunken teenagers (with the exception of Kurt and Finn who had taken it upon themselves to remain sober in the respective hopes of not making a fool of themselves in front of their crush and in assigning themselve the role of designated driver for the evening), the glee club was abuzz with excitement - probably due to the actual buzz the Berry's alcohol had given them rather than the anticipation of who the spinning bottle would point to. Laughs and shouts erupted as Brittany's spin landed on Sam and they both shared a kiss until Santana broke it up and reminded everyone that ownership of those guppy lips belonged to her.

Next it was Rachel's turn. At that, Quinn zoned out and instead remembered the last time she had been drunk; the day that had changed her life so dramatically and altered it forever. It was after having a horrible day at school that was only made worse by Sue Sylvester's relentless Cheerios training regimen. That day she was the track suit donning devil's lucky target; being the selected subject of all her constant hurls of verbal abuse, mainly calling her, "a sloppy baby that could lose a few pounds!" Before her coach ultimately demanding that she go back onto the Sylvester Master Cleanse.

Out of exhaustion and due to a low self-esteem at the time, she had agreed to accept Puck's offer of coming over to one of his parties and allowed herself to down the cheap fruity wine coolers he had supplied (which she would never have even remotely considered on any other occasion) in an attempt to drown herself deprecating thoughts and just feel appreciated and wanted. And Puck most certainly attended to those needs.

That day she not only lost her virginity, but also ended up falling pregnant as a result of it. Along with that, she also lost her parents' love, her home, and Finn. Losing him and the added popularity he brought her from being the power couple, she could handle. But having to raise the baby alone? Or with someone as unreliable as Puck? She couldn't.

After her parents cut off her bank accounts, she knew that in order to properly care and supply for her child, she would have to lie to Finn. He was the only boy that actually cared for her and thought of her as more than just 'the beautiful blonde Cheerios captain'. It hurt her lying to him but she knew that her baby's health and protection took priority over the possible consequences of admitting to breaking the boy's trust. To ensure not only her own comfort but the baby's, she pushed Finn to get a job and help provide her with some security that alone she couldn't.

However, after he discovered the truth about the baby's paternity (no thanks to Rachel), he dumped her and that loss of control drove Quinn into an emotional downward spiral that only the support that the Glee club had provided brought her out of. Funny how the feeling of having a 'fat day' had led to the events that would make her belly balloon. Irony was such a bitch sometimes.

The bottle's rotation had almost finished and from the looks of it, it was going to miss Finn (much to Rachel's disappointment) and instead seemed as if it would land on either Kurt or Blaine. Before it had even stopped moving, Rachel had already begun leaning forward in anticipation, pointing at the Warbler and claiming that she was going to 'rock his world'. At this, Quinn just rolled her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest and delved back into her thoughts.

On its last round around the group, the empty bottle had turned past Kurt and slowly crawled across Blaine before it stopped dead. Quinn suddenly snapped out of her trance as she noticed that the comfortable white noise of her classmates' excited cheering had ceased, only to be replaced by a tense nervous silence.

Looking around, almost the entire glee club's eyes were on her. She met her classmates' looks with confusion clearly present on her face, quirking an eyebrow inquisitively at them. _Why the hell are they staring at me? Was I thinking out loud? Do I have something on my face?_

Before she could question them her gaze was drawn to the only set of eyes that weren't meeting hers. Rachel's face displayed what could only be described as a mixture of shock and pure terror. Following the singer's line of sight, Quinn noticed that the brunette was staring at the floor, fixated on something there. It was at that moment that Quinn felt her own eyes widen and her breath catch in the back of her throat. All of her questions were answered. The bottle on the basement floor had not landed on Blaine but had inched its aim just past his knee and onto the quiet blonde. It had landed on her. She wasn't really even sitting _in_ the circle - more of on its outer rim - and there were thirteenth other people that it could have landed on! She couldn't believe it. Yep. The wine coolers had done it again.

Quinn Fabray was obviously cursed. Either that, or she was stuck in terribly written teen TV drama. Her Dad's deep bellowing voice rang harshly in the back of her head, warning her that it was God punishing her for underage drinking by sending her message after message every time she did. And now? The wine coolers had decided to once again give her another slap in the face. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as she inhaled deeply through the nose before letting out a frustrated sigh. She would have to kiss none other than the one and only Rachel Barbra Berry.

* * *

_OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGodohmyGod! This isn't happening, this isn't happening!_ Rachel was in disbelief. The once spinning bottle-neck had pointed to Quinn Fabray. The one person that she prayed it wouldn't. She had only recently mended their rocky friendship and was no longer fearing the former head cheerleader's wrath. "_No, no, no, no! Why couldn't it stop on Blaine?!"_ It would have been so much simpler and it would have meant nothing to her. For one, he was gay so he wouldn't feel anything and she knew Kurt was pursuing him; and two, she barely knew the guy! But Quinn...Quinn knew her and she knew Quinn.

Ever since the age of 15 and the start of their freshman year of high school at WMHS, they had both been aware of each other. The tall, gorgeous blonde was instantly popular and revered, quickly becoming the captain of the Cheerios and the subject of every boy's affections and every girl's jealousy. She however, was a short, overly charismatic and overconfident Jewish singer with two gay dads that nobody cared to even notice or pay any attention to; that was, nobody except Quinn. And after she did, the whole school seemed to also. The other girl had obviously been conscious of her and her endeavours - constantly bullying her and taking every opportunity she had to call her demeaning names such as 'Man-hands' and 'Treasure Trail'. Suffice to say, kissing her former tormentor would be the strangest occurrence in her life.

She raised her eyes and saw Quinn's hazel ones wide with shock. _Great, she is freaking out as much as I am. What do I do?_ Seeing the panic written on Rachel's face, Kurt broke in and reassured the girls that they didn't have to if they didn't want to. It seemed as if the insanity of the task snapped everyone momentarily out of their drunken dazes.

"No way dude! They can't back out now!" Puck growled, clearly giddy with anticipation of seeing his two ex's kiss in front of him. "I've dreamed about this moment for so long!"

"Oh hell to the no! Puck don't get all perverted on us right now," Mercedes yelled out, snapping her fingers in true diva fashion with Tina sitting beside her giving Rachel a sympathetic look.

"But this is going to be awesome spank bank material!" He replied with a smug grin, before being slapped upside the head by Santana.

"We don't need to know about what you fantasize about. I don't need to see Berry and stretchmarks macking on in front of me! Oh _great_. I don't think I'll ever get these images out of my brain now you ass!" Santana grimaced, glaring at the mohawked boy with an icy stare.

He just laughed and winked at the girls before turning to see Rachel and Quinn still frozen in the same positions on the floor.

Quinn seemed to collect herself and nodded to herself as she released a sigh. The blonde then stood from her seat and moved over to meet Rachel in the middle of the circle. The taller girl raised her hands to cup Rachel's cheeks and pulled her toward her so that their faces were only inches apart. The basement fell quiet, aside from the music in the background as everyone anxiously anticipating the surely apocalyptic inducing moment.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Rachel explained unsurely, shivering under the girl's soft touch.

"I know I don't have to," Quinn spoke with slight annoyance but maintained her hold on the other girls face. Leaning forward she brought her mouth up to Rachel's ear and whispered, "but if we don't we'll look like cowards, so I'm up for it, if you are Berry."

Rachel's breathing increased as she saw Quinn close her eyes and wait. Quinn had made the first move and it was now up to her to either accept by closing the gap or reject her by backing away. Taking a deep calming breath through the nose, Rachel inhaled the intoxicating scent of vanilla and cinnamon of the gorgeous girl in front of her. _Gosh, how can anyone smell so good? It's ridiculous!_

In that second, adrenaline pulsated through her veins and she acted on impulse, shutting her own eyes and moving her lips forward, closing the space between them. Rachel felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and a bolt of electricity shoot up her spine and through her chest as she felt the warm delicate touch of Quinn's lips brush against hers. _Wow, she is such an amazing kisser. And her face tastes _awesome. As their lips glided slowly against each other, Quinn felt Rachel's hot breath panting against her skin. Quinn began pulling away slightly in order to break the kiss and take a breath, but Rachel reached out with both her hands and latched onto her, keeping her in place. Seeking more contact, the brunette anchored herself by grabbing one fistful of Quinn's denim jacket and long luscious blonde locks in the other. With a firm grip on the back of the blonde's neck, Rachel drew her impossibly closer and deepened the kiss. Their lips crashed together even harder and a muffled whimper fell from Quinn. Rachel opened her mouth a little wider in response after feeling the blonde envelop her bottom lip and lick it lightly. Granting her entry, Quinn accepted by moving her tongue inside and exploring, rubbing it against Rachel's in a passionate duel, eliciting a soft moan to escaped her. Realisation dawned slowly as noise filtered back into Quinn's kiss-induced narrow stream of consciousness, and the positioning of herself wrapped in Rachel's embrace in the midst of all their friends registered.

"Oh. My. God." Kurt gasped out, fully snapping Quinn back into the reality of the situation and making her forcibly rip Rachel and herself apart a the push of her hands. It lasted no more than ten seconds, but as soon as the contact broke and Rachel's arms released their hold on Quinn, feeling the warmth of her touch disappear, both girls instantly and inexplicably missed it.

Opening her eyes, Rachel looked wide eyed in surprise at Quinn as the blonde wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and moved back to her spot in the circle whilst staring at the floor and without making eye contact with anyone – especially not the girl she had just kissed. Rachel looked around at the other glee members and saw mixed reactions.

Finn, Sam, Mike and Artie all resembled those rotating clowns with gaping wide open mouths in those carnival games and all hi-fived each other before making sure that nothing untoward was forming between their legs. Kurt, Mercedes, Tina and Blaine all had saucers for eyes and were looking from her to one another and having a silent conversation with their facial expressions. Santana was looking away in disgust and acting out a gag reflex motion with her finger in her mouth. Brittany smiled widely and clapped before putting her thumbs up in approval. Lauren just looked disinterested and shrugged, taking another swig of alcohol. And then, there was Puck.

The boy looked as if he had just had a stroke. His reaction mirrored something out of a cartoon - his tongue hung out of his mouth and dropped to the floor whilst his eyes were as wide as a deer's in headlights, and a pool of drool ran down the front of his shirt.

"Noah? Are...are you alive?" Rachel questioned worriedly with a hint of a smile ghosting her lips at the sight. Puck tried to form a coherent reply, but the only sound he could seem to make was "Aughhluguud," earning laughter from everyone in the room. Rachel just shook her head and returned to her spot in the circle too.

Continuing to feel the others' eyes on her, she ducked her head down shyly and allowed her bangs and hair to mask her face. She focused on regaining a steady and regular heart beat and breathing pattern before lifting her finger tips to her lips and lightly tracing them, feeling the remnants of the slight tingling sensation the kiss had brought her.

_What…What in the world was that? Did that just happen? Did I just kiss _Quinn Fabray_? Why do I want to do it again? Oh right, I'm a needy drunk. That's what Finn said anyways. Yeah, that's it. It must have just been the alcohol that made me feel...That made me want to keep...That's making me want to do it again..._

* * *

The rest of the night was pretty uneventful in comparison, with Blaine and Kurt singing 'Don't You Want Me' by The Human League on the karaoke machine and everyone else dancing and enjoying seeing how Rachel acted when she was off her face, trying to find someone to lean on the whole night. The most entertaining being when she began hugging Brittany, which the blonde happily returned before Santana grabbed her and scolded angrily at the smaller brunette.

Quinn however remained separate from the festivities and chose to remain seated to the side of the room on a soft fabric sofa. Seeing her friend all alone in isolation, Brittany moved away from the group on the dance floor and over to the couch before plopping down next to the shorter blonde.

"Hey Quinn!" Brittany greeted with a nudge in order to get her attention. Quinn didn't look up, choosing instead to continue slowly twirling her straw around in her red solo cup.

Brittany frowned and poked her again before noticing the sadness that encompassed the other blonde's face. Instead of prodding her again, Brittany took the cup out of her friend's hands and placed it on the floor before pulling her into one of her love filled hugs that calmed Santana down whenever she was upset. The Latina wouldn't admit it, but secretly she loved the feeling so much-the most. In her arms, Brittany felt Quinn release a shaky breath against her collar bone before feeling Quinn's arms wrap around her and return the hug. Brittany stroked her hair soothingly before asking what was wrong.

Feeling the other girl pull away, Brittany looked once again at Quinn's facial expression and was relieved to see that it was not as sombre as before.

"Nothing B. I'm fine," Quinn whispered quietly as she wiped a small tear away and tried to sniffle away the cracks in her ever-crumbling mask of composure and indifference. "Thanks for the hug though."

Not meeting her blue eyes, Brittany could tell there was something Quinn wasn't telling her but at seeing a forced watery smile beginning to form on Quinn's face, she thought it best to drop the subject for the night and try to cheer the other girl up completely. Smiling back, Brittany jumped off of the couch and pulled Quinn up and into the middle of the room to dance amongst the other bodies on the floor. Quinn begrudgingly joined her but really wasn't really in the mood. Brittany soon realised that this was something one of her magical hugs couldn't fix (that was a first).

"It's getting late. Want me and San to walk you home?" Brittany asked sweetly, rubbing her hands up and down Quinn's arms comfortingly. Quinn gave a small nod in reply before the taller blonde picked up her shirt (because she was still topless from stripping) and calling over to Santana to follow them out. Being a school night, the rest of the club decided to also call it a night and hoped that their hangovers wouldn't last _too_ long the next morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Same applies from the first chapter.

**A/N:** I loved Brittana in this episode! I would like to incorporate them more in my retelling of the story so let me know if you would enjoy that! Again, I enjoy reading all reviews and welcome any constructive criticism or ideas anyone has.

And a thank you to all of you that have favourited, reviewed and followed Chapter 1! You are awesome :)

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Sexy**

"The Celibacy Club will now come to order," Ms Pillsbury announced with the pounding of her wooden gavel on the bench. The thuds echoed around the large empty classroom as the obsessive compulsive counsellor reviewed the previous meetings minutes. It was the first day back from the weekend's festivities and the kiss that Quinn and Rachel had shared the week before was still fresh in everyone's minds.

"...And Rachel spent the hour quizzing Quinn about the nature of her relationship with Finn," The redheaded woman recalled as she looked at the two other girls in the room, who were sitting on opposite sides of the large square formation of the tables.

"A question somebody still refuses to answer," Rachel mumbled as she fiddled with her pen, just loud enough for Quinn to hear before ducking her head down toward the desk.

"And I will continue to refuse to answer them because they are none of your business!" Quinn snapped, glaring back. "All I will reveal is that I re-joined the celibacy club to focus on me."

"Me too," Rachel responded meeting the blonde's sceptical gaze, regaining a little more confidence at hearing her words. "Finn is kryptonite which is why I am focusing all of my energies now on my song writing."

Quinn quirked her eyebrow and gave one of her signature eye rolls before turning back to listening to Ms Pillsbury encourage them to remain celibate if they weren't ready for intimacy or afraid of the 'hose monster' as she had called it.

_Hose monster?_ _Who is she kidding? She is really just trying to convince herself!_ Quinn scoffed as the guidance counsellor rambled enthusiastically about chastity charms they would be given.

_God, it's always about Finn. Finn, Finn, Finn. Why is she here? She always mocked this club in the past and _now _she _wants_ to be a part of it again? She only joined it originally last year because she knew Finn would be in it. She must have an angle. Maybe she thinks that, by joining, Finn will want her because that boy only seems to give a damn about her when he knows she's off limits. That's it! She's trying to impress him. That whole, 'you could have had me but now I'm unavailable and your girlfriend forbids it' always drove that boy insane. I'll have to keep a close eye one him, and an even closer one on her..._

"We hand out the little hearts but not the key – that way nobody can open the lock forever!"

Quinn and Rachel both feigned interest as the session concluded and they collected all of their 'club swag' and headed toward their lockers to gather their books.

Rachel couldn't help looking at Quinn through the corner of her eye across the crowded corridor where the tall ex Cheerio was putting away her chastity charm and then preparing her folders and notes for her next class. _Are Quinn and Finn together again? Are they dating? I wonder if she will give her key to Finn..._ Quinn wouldn't answer any of her questions about Finn and Finn had certainly made it clear at the party that he wasn't interested in rekindling a relationship with Rachel again. Their unwillingness to cooperate only fuelled the diva's motivation to discover the truth. There was nothing more determined than Rachel Berry on a mission.

* * *

Later in Glee club, Rachel was pleasantly surprised when Quinn entered the room and took a seat next to her as the new substitute Holly Holiday began singing Garry Glitter's rather risqué song 'Do You Wanna Touch Me' and invited the whole Glee club to join her. Neither girl could tear their eyes away from the performance as Brittany and Santana joined Holly in the middle of the choir room and began dancing provocatively around their chairs.

The Latina eyed the duo speculatively at the close proximity of their seats. _Well this is interesting. Why is Queen Bitch sitting next to Hobblefoot? I guess they are both in the stupid Celibacy Club, but still, it's the dwarf. Q normally can't stand her, but ever since that party... _

Santana's eyes widened as a thought came to her and she caught both Quinn and Rachel's eyes. _No way, I must be imagining things... _Deciding to test her theory, Santana teased flashes of bare skin as she sang along to the song. Both girls sitting in the chairs reacted in a way that was a little less that completely innocent, and Santana smirked to herself. _Santana Diabla Lopez, helping 'straight' girls embrace their gay since, forever._

_What is wrong with you? Stop staring! That's Santana for goodness sake!_ Quinn internally berated herself. She decided to put those disturbing thoughts aside and push them back into the farthest crevices of her mind, ignoring them for the time being – maybe even forever - as she turned to watch Brittany dance instead.

Rachel just gaped wide in shock at the display as Santana winked at her suggestively before Rachel too avoided eye contact with her.

When the new teacher noticed the two celibacy club members watching on in shock, she pointed at them with her index and pinkie fingers to join her and after exchanging a quick glance with each other, despite their previous discomfort, neither Rachel nor Quinn could refuse – the song was just too damn catchy!

* * *

"Hey Q," Brittany smiled happily with Santana trailing behind with a smirk on her face.

Quinn turned around to face her friends, ignoring Santana completely and addressing Brittany. "Hey, what's up?"

"Just wondering how you are today."

"Yeah, you don't seem so crash hot lately Blondie. What crawled up your ass?"

Quinn slammed her locker door and clutched her books close to her chest as she gave Santana a pointed look. "I'm fine."

Santana crossed her arms in front of her and laughed sardonically. "Clearly."

Quinn narrowed her eyes and Santana dared her with her own to say something before Brittany grabbed Santana's arm and whispered something in her ear.

"Be nice? Oh come on BritBrit that's no fun!" Brittany stared puppy dog eyes at her before Santana rolled her own and threw up her arms in surrender. "Ugh, fine. I'll see you in class," she said before trudging off away from the blondes.

Quinn looked back toward Brittany and raised her eyebrow in question as to why she sent Santana away before sending her a grin in appreciation which Brittany again sweetly returned.

"Sorry about San. She's been kinda moody lately," Brittany explained. Quinn held back her own eye roll because, _really? Only lately?_

"I think she and Sam aren't very happy together. She yelled at him after the party for kissing me which is weird because she knows he and I could be like cousins. Dating him would cause like the apocalypse or something. She never wants him to drive her home after school and comes home with me instead, and whenever he asks her out she says she can't be bothered or that she's busy. I asked her if she maybe wanted to go out on a double date with me and Artie to Breadstix but she said she didn't want to. I don't know why though because I know she loves Breadstix and would never say no to a free meal there."

Quinn softened her posture as she slumped against the lockers and nodded in understanding. She knew Santana's real reasons but kept her mouth shut because the brunette would tell Brittany in her own time, when she was ready.

As the warning bell sounded, Brittany looped her arm through Quinn's and they began walking to their Spanish class; the one class all of Glee seemed to apparently share. What a coincidence.

As they entered the room just on time, Mr Shue began writing commonly used greetings and phrases on the board as everyone began taking their seats. Puck and Lauren sat in the farthest table from the front of the room, carving inappropriate drawings into the desk with their scissors. Sam, Mike, Artie and Finn all sat in front of them and talked enthusiastically about the latest football match. Brittany, Santana and Quinn sat in the next row with the two former playing some sort of game with their hands locked together and their thumbs wriggling around in a sort of duel. _Nice one S. Any excuse to hold her hand without actually asking her to or admitting to yourself or anyone else that you want to. _Quinn sat beside the pair, reading to herself with a small grin tugging on her lips. Tina, Rachel, Kurt and Mercedes sat at the very front of the room, with the gossip queens talking animatedly while Rachel and Tina copied the notes on the board.

After Brittany successfully sqashed Santana's tanned and perfectly manicured thumb beneath her own, she leaned over in her chair to her left toward the quiet blonde seated beside her. "Whatcha reading?"

"Alice in Wonderland. It's my favourite." Quinn replied licking the tip of her finger and turning the crisp white page over.

"I love that Disney movie! The big fat cat that can disappear and stuff with the huge smile is my favourite. He reminds me of Lord Tubbington because he's always up to no good."

Quinn chuckled and nodded before talking about how she always pictured herself as Alice.

"Because you're both blonde?" Santana more of stated than asked dryly.

Quinn shook her head and smiled to herself before further explaining it was actually because she could relate to Alice on a much deeper level. Having had such a miserable childhood, reading was her favourite hobby because it allowed her to lose herself in the vast imaginings of the author's intricate and wonderfully written stories. She loved letting her own imagination trump her depressing reality, and take her away into a different world, ridding her of her anxieties, insecurities and sadness as a child-and even now. When she read, everything else just faded away. It gave her a sense of freedom. Of happiness and hope, before she had to return to her bland and hollow life with every closing of each book.

Rachel had stopped in her note taking and was now listening intently to the girls behind her.

"So you would be Alice, Santana would be the Queen of Hearts," Brittany counted off each Glee member and their respective character on her fingers. "Finn and Sam would be Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, because, duh, and Rachel would be the White Rabbit because she's always talking really fast about something, running around like a crazy person and never listens to anyone."

"Or maybe the Mad Hatter because she's insane and constantly breaks out in song," Santana offered with a chortle.

"If I get a preference, I would rather be the rabbit. And I do listen to other people!" Rachel rebutted as she turned in her seat to face Brittany with a small pout playing on her lips.

All three of the trinity stared at her disbelievingly before she huffed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes briefly, and threw her hand up in resignation. "Fine, I _sometimes_ listen to other people…When they are talking about something that involves or interests me in some way or another."

"I agree. You're more of a nauseatingly overly enthusiastic and energetic rabbit than a hat fanatic," Quinn supplied with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

"Although I do quite enjoy my tea," Rachel offered with a laugh and grin. Her smile grew wider at seeing the corners of Quinn's lips quirk upwards ever so slightly.

"You told me once that you also thought bunnies were really cute though Quinn. Does that mean you think Rachel is really cute?" Brittany interjected innocently with genuine curiosity.

Quinn held a stoic face as she scoffed before raising her book up to eye-level, hiding the existence of the embarrassment in her quickly flushing cheeks within its spine, to everyone but the always observant and ever curious Latina. Rachel's own cheeks tinged pink before shyly ducking her head too. Santana watched the reactions before her and contemplated them with raised eyebrows. _Curiouser and curiouser..._

Santana wanted to give a questioning glace toward the now crimson tinted blonde, but Quinn remained silent with her nose in her book. Annoyed now that hazel was seemingly adamant on not reaching her eyes and was no longer going to participate in the conversation anymore, Santana shifted her attention over to Rachel. "Why are you always listening in on our conversations?"

Rachel sheepishly shrugged. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have eavesdropped. I was just tired of listening to Mr Shue trying to teach Puck how to properly roll his r's."

"Puck couldn't roll his r's even if he did care to pay any attention in class. Shue is wasting his time. I'm surprised that this class is still running to be honest. Santana could teach it better than him." Quinn mumbled into the pages of her book.

"Could? Please, I'd wipe the floor with Shuester, and judging by the amount of hair gel he uses, I'm sure using his head as a mop would actually clean the floors pretty damn well too," Santana snickered to herself, earning a giggle from the other girls too.

Turning back to Rachel, Santana raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have some notes to take or someone else to bore?"

Rachel sighed, turning back around in her seat to resume her writing.

Quinn slightly lowered her book at seeing that Rachel was no longer looking her way. Marking her page with a delicate dog ear in the top right corner, she closed it soundly before looking at Brittany who was happily scribbling a drawing of a rainbow in crayon on the cover Santana's Spanish book to which the Latina looked uncomfortable but didn't have the heart to stop her.

"So, the Queen of Hearts, huh?" Santana again stated rather than asked a little smugly. "Because I'm the hottest bitch in this place and all the idiot guys fall at my feet?"

"No, because you're evil and stubborn and if you had the power to, you would probably like decapitating people who don't agree with you. Although I think you're more suited to be the King of Hearts and Brittany the Queen because you bend at her every whim," Quinn challenged with a playful smile.

Santana shot her a cautious look and narrowed her eyes warningly before seeing if what Quinn had said had registered and earned any sort of response from Brittany. Brittany was seemingly ignoring the two girls flanking her and continued to draw, now adding herself and Santana riding a unicorn over the bow.

"Whatever." Santana blew off with the dismissing wave of her hand in front of her face. Smirking, she leaned further forward on the desk toward Quinn and lowered her tone as she gave the blonde a malignant glance. "You're one to talk," she said as her eyes shifted to the small form of the brunette sitting in front of them in the first row.

Quinn visibly stiffened in her seat and stared daggers toward Santana.

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

Santana guffawed loudly. "If I _was_ the Queen of Hearts, I know whose head I would first like off."

* * *

Sitting on either side of Holly in the choir room, Santana and Brittany sang along to the meaningful lyrics of 'Landslide' together. This was different to any other performance they had ever done in Glee because, for the first time, they weren't singing it to their fellow students but to each other. Santana, the normally so aggressive and bitchy Latina, was diminished to a vulnerable and insecure girl when she sat with Brittany in the 'sacred sexy sharing circle' earlier that day. As Holly Holiday asked if she had ever thought herself to be a lesbian she felt herself begin to panic at the casualness of their substitute teacher's question. She didn't want to admit it; certainly not out aloud let alone to herself. Her whole life she was raised in a Christian household and was taught what was considered proper and what was not. Being attracted to girls was definitely not. She could never admit it to her family – especially not her Abuela, whom she loved and respected most in the world. She knew that she wouldn't approve and she was petrified of her reaction if she ever did find out.

"It's not about who you are attracted to ultimately, it's about who you fall in love with."

The words Holly spoke that afternoon had rung true to her. As she sat there in Glee and poured her heart into every single lyric, all she could think of was Brittany. She knew the blonde was not just another hook up. She knew she was so much more than just an outlet for her sexual frustrations. She knew that she cared for her. She knew that she loved her. She wanted to be with her and her alone. She wanted Brittany, completely. Looking across the divide Holly posed to her left, her brown eyes met bright blue and she could see how proud Brittany was of her in that very moment.

After Miss Holiday strummed the final note on her guitar, Brittany asked Santana the one question that she had always been terrified of admitting.

"Is that really how you feel?"

"Uh huh, yeah," Santana confirmed truthfully as she sniffed and wiped the straying tear that was running down her cheek away. Standing from their chairs, Santana walked over to the girl she loved and embraced her tightly, thanking her and wishing never to let her go. The perfect moment only lasted a few seconds before Rachel sarcastically broke in.

"Can I just applaud this trio for exploring the uncharted world of Sapphic charm. Brava, brava."

This was exactly what she didn't want. She knew that singing the song with Brittany would most likely result in judgmental comments and glances, but she never thought that _Rachel Berry_ would be the one to initiate them.

"Look, just because I sang a song with Brittany, doesn't mean you can put a label on me – is that clear?" Santana's voice was weaker and lacked its usual malice but this gave her words even more emphasis. Rachel was instantly struck with a pang of guilt at what she had just said. Who was she to say anything to Santana about her and Brittany's relationship? It was just as Quinn had said to her earlier about herself and Finn – none of her business. Before she could voice her apology for her uncalled for rudeness, the bell sounded through the school speakers.

Rachel couldn't let it go though. She knew Santana was a very strong and self reliant person that dished it out to others all the time, but Rachel could hear the hurt in her voice and see the pain in her eyes. She didn't mean to upset her. She thought that after the interaction between them earlier that week and the show she put on with Ms Holiday that Santana wouldn't be bothered by her comment. Santana could most certainly dish it out, but apparently not take it herself.

After her class finished she bounded down toward Santana's locker just in time to see her talking to Brittany. She stopped and waited just around the corner of the locker bays, catching snippets of the hushed conversation.

"...What I realised is why I'm such a bitch all the time. I'm a bitch because I'm angry. I'm angry because I have all of these feelings...Feelings for you, that I'm afraid of dealing with because I'm afraid of dealing with the consequences."

The normally fiery ex cheerleader sounded broken. Rachel's guilt grew and she physically slapped herself on the forehead at being so judgmental and careless with what she had said earlier.

"...I wanna be with you...But I'm afraid of the talks and the looks. I mean, you know what happened to Kurt at this school. I mean, even _Rachel_ judged me after we sang together..." Santana sighed.

"But honey, if anyone were to ever make fun of you, you would either kick their ass or slash them with your vicious, vicious words," Brittany assured her with a light touch to her arm.

"Yeah, I know, but," Santana sniffled before looking into baby blues. "I'm just so afraid of what everyone will say behind my back. Still, I have to accept...That I love you. I love _you_! And I don't want to be with Sam or Finn or any of those other guys. I just want you. Please say you love me back. _Please_."

Rachel couldn't believe how vulnerable Santana sounded. After all this time she had always thought that Santana was angry and aggressive because _she_ was different and irritating. Hearing the Latina's heartfelt confessions, Rachel knew now that she wasn't the cause at all; the taller brunette was just lashing out at her because she was an easy outlet for all of her pent up anger that she couldn't deal with herself. Rachel was thrown out of her thoughts as she noticed Santana stalking past her with tears rushing down her tanned cheeks and no sign of Brittany following.

She rushed after her, pushing her way through the crowded corridors until she caught up to the Latina.

"Santana wait!" Rachel pleaded as she tried to keep in time with the taller brunette's long strides.

"What do you want Frodo?" Santana tried to deadpan but her voice betrayed her, giving it more emotion than the Latina had wanted to. Continuing in her hurried stride she ignored the diva chasing after her.

"Santana I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I said earlier-"

"Listen Hobbit," Santana snapped, "I'm really not in the mood right now so please, just leave me alone ok?" The taller brunette tried her best to put on the steely cold front that she normally held up so well. It didn't fool Rachel though. She could see the tenseness in her shoulders and the tears welling in her eyes.

"Santana, please," Rachel begged, grabbing a hold of Santana's elbow and gently tugging her into an empty classroom.

Santana just stood there with balled up fists at her sides and a pained look on her face. Rachel approached her slowly trying to analyse the situation to determine what was the best (and safest) course of action to take. _Is she going to hit me? Is she going to scream?_ In that moment Rachel didn't think twice before reaching out and pulling the other girl into a comforting hug. She rubbed soothing circles on her lower back until she felt Santana relax in her arms and her shirt dampen by the soft sobs she didn't have the strength to hold in anymore. Santana couldn't bring herself to care about what she was doing. She was hugging Rachel, but it felt just as warm and safe as the hugs Brittany normally gave her. The hugs she lost herself and her anxieties in. It calmed her down and she exhaled loudly against Rachel's neck before opening her balled up fists and returning the hug.

They stood there like that for about a minute before Santana realised that other people seeing this would seriously ruin her reputation. She tried to push Rachel away but the other girl maintained her grip around Santana's waist. How often did she get this rare chance to hug her after all?

"Ok Berry you can let me go now," Santana groaned but Rachel could hear the faint smile in her voice.

Rachel complied and squeezed a little tighter in reasuring, before releasing her hold on Santana's small nimble form.

"Are we ok?"

"Have we ever really been _ok_ stubbles?" Santana replied tiredly but there was no bite in her voice.

"Santana, I get it ok? You're hurt and scared. But you need to know that I'm here for you. The whole Glee club is and we aren't going to judge you. Would you maybe consider coming to the Celibacy Club meeting later to talk about it?"

Santana sighed and conceded a nod before fixing her slightly disheveled long hair over her shoulders and turning to walk out the door.

"Rachel?"

"Yes?" She could hardly contain her shock at hearing her _actual_ name, but controlled her excitement momentarily.

"If you tell anyone about this, I swear I will ends you."

* * *

The Celibacy Club was much fuller than it had been at the start of the week. Rachel, Quinn, Puck, Lauren, Santana, Sam, Brittany and Artie all sat in the square formation, with Rachel taking the lead at the head of the tables in Ms Pillsbury's absence.

Looking around the room she noticed something strange. Lauren, Brittany and Santana all had their boyfriends present beside them, but Quinn sat alone, isolating herself from everyone with- most importantly -out Finn by her side. Rachel couldn't quite understand why that made her...happy. To see Quinn without her beau beside her. It must have been because she was still not over Finn, right?

"Where's Ms Pillsbury?" Puck questioned apprehensively at seeing Rachel taking command of the gavel. Rachel explained that the woman was fixing her marriage and that she would be taking over for her.

"Because you annoyingly take over everything?" Santana retorted stubbornly.

Rachel gave her a look of _come-on-Santana-you-don't-have-to-pretend-like-you -don't-like-me-anymore_ face.

"Because, I realised that while all of us making our celibacy pledge is wonderful, one day we're going to fall in love with someone and we're going to choose to be intimate with them," Rachel explained as her gaze shifted around the others in the room, but unconsciously lingered on one member a little longer than the rest.

"Speaking of being intimate, what's with the hickey Quinn?" Puck smirked cheekily raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"It's not a hickey; I burnt myself this morning with the curling iron."

Rachel looked inquisitively at the small purple bruise just below the blonde's jaw line and unconsciously furrowed her brow. _Is it a burn?_ _Noah, the self-proclaimed 'hickey connoisseur' swore it was...Quinn wouldn't lie about her and Finn being together would she? If anything she would boast about it and brag about being the power couple again, wouldn't she? Why would she keep it a secret? No, it must be a burn. But if it is, why is she refusing to meet my eyes?_

* * *

"_What was that? Is that your mom?" Finn asked panicked at the thought of being caught in Quinn's bed by Judy Fabray._

"_She's at work; she won't be home for hours. Divorce _rules_," Quinn mused as she rolled Finn back to face her and locked lips with the tall quarterback. _

"_Oof, I'll be more careful with the hickey placement next time," Finn said as he stroked the mark forming on Quinn's neck that he had left there just an hour earlier._

"_This is so awesome! We have two months until prom so we have plenty of time to campaign for prom king and queen!"_

"_But that's not all that this was about though, right?"_

_Quinn looked into Finn's eyes and tried to give him a reassuring smile before telling him that it was because she wanted to be with him. She was never the best liar but luckily, Finn wasn't the brightest when it came to Quinn and her tell-tale signs. Or to anything really._

_The truth was, she did like Finn. He was nice, popular, and a great singer. But she didn't really want to _be_ with him again. After cheating on Sam with him, she realised that her only real motivation behind it was to boost her popularity and win her more votes for prom queen. Honestly, she just felt like she wanted to be wanted. And that's what becoming prom royalty granted her, eternally._

_When Finn deepened the kiss a flashback to two nights ago appeared before her eyes. _

_She tasted Rachel's sweet strawberry chapstick on her tongue again and felt the warm comforting touch of her hand running through long brown curls, and warm tanned skin brushing up against her own..._

_Fluttering open her eyes, Quinn leapt off of the bed, startling Finn, and snapped back into the present. _

"_W-What's wrong? D-did I do something?" Finn stammered, jumping up to her side and assessing himself for any signs of him going_ too_ far._

"_No no no, I just...just remembered that my mom was going to come home early today to.. help me with some homework and prom stuff..." Quinn explained, lying through her teeth._

"_Oh...O-ok, I'll uh...I'll see ya at school then I guess?"_

_After walking Finn downstairs and giving him a quick peck on the cheek he gave her a small grin. "Goodnight Quinn."_

_"__Yeah, night," she returned as she closed the door a little hurriedly _behind him and turned her back towards it, sliding down to the floor and letting her face collapse in her palms. 

What in the HELL was that?!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **As with all of my future and past chapters, all of Glee and its characters belong to its writers and creators.

**A/N: **I hated how they cut so many Faberry scenes in canon so I decided to include one of them in my story. Also I'd like to know who you enjoying interacting together more - Pezberry or Faberry?

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Original Song**

"It's called 'Only Child'."

"Yeah, I got that. It's better than 'My Headband'...that's for sure!" Finn encouraged after Rachel finished singing her second attempt at writing an original song.

"But it, it still feels like you're just playing scared. You're only dealing with the easy pain. You gotta get to the hard stuff – that's what's relatable to everyone."

Rachel looked a little taken aback but defended her talent and abilities.

"I'm perfectly capable of accessing my pain! I cry every time I sing a solo!"

"Exactly. When you sing, I can feel it. I guess you just gotta go inside yourself to wherever the singing comes from and write from there."

Impressed at the normally dubious boy's certainty, the brunette still thoroughly defended her song as she rambled on about how hard it was to write an original one.

* * *

Standing in the doorway of the choir room, Quinn looked intently at the interaction between her boyfriend and the girl that had recently been plaguing her dreams – Rachel _freaking_ Berry. Watching the girl animatedly perform, she couldn't help the anger that rose from her gut. No matter how many times she had claimed Finn as her own, Rachel would never stop pursuing him. It was so damn frustrating sometimes. She didn't hate her, but she was definitely getting on her nerves.

_Sometimes I worry about Finn. I mean, how damaged does a guy have to be, to be into someone as _annoying _as Rachel? Still, he is a good guy and I do really like him. He was my first boyfriend, and firsts are forever._

_And another thing – without him, I'm never going to be prom queen! And I want to be prom queen. I want to hear my name called before the entire school and see the look on all their faces as I, the former head Cheerio and girl who fell from grace from falling pregnant at sixteen, go through my coronation and show them that they don't know me. I want to see my mother's face when she sees me walk through the front door and make her proud of me once more...I _will_ get my happy ending no matter what it takes. After everything that happened last year I know I deserve it._

_But I can't do it without Finn. He's a shoe in for prom king and after winning the big game, he'll help me land crucial swing votes. Amazingly the only person standing in my way is her and her damn talent. If I'm going to guarantee that he doesn't stray with her, I'm going to have to play it right._

_They say keep your friends close but your enemies closer. Well, Rachel Berry, you just got yourself a new best friend._

* * *

"I think that we should write original songs for Regionals," Rachel proposed, crossing her legs and placing her hands in her lap as Mr Shue contemplated their song list choices.

"All those in favour of voting Rachel down a second time?" Santana deadpanned, raising her hand and having almost all of the rest of the glee club follow her in unison.

"No, I think Rachel is right," Quinn broke in. "This team works best when we push ourselves and do something a little different."

Santana glanced back puzzled at the unusual show of support for the little diva from her blonde frienemy as she slowly lowered her hand. _Why is Susie Q backing the midget up?_ She knew that there must have been an ulterior motive and she reminded herself to talk to her about it later. She didn't want Quinn hurting Rachel before Regionals and ruining their chances of winning. She wouldn't admit it to herself but the little diva had grown on her.

"That's true, but if all the other teams are doing amazing songs, we're not gonna be so good," Mercedes countered looking back with the rest of the club to face Quinn.

"You're right, we're not gonna be as good – we're gonna be better. We won't be using other people's words or music. It'll be our own. Our own heart and soul – not just our voices," Quinn explained, meeting everyone's gaze with confidence.

"We have a really talented songwriter in our midst – Rachel," Quinn gestured to the petite form of the brunette in the front row, ignoring her peer's confused and questioning glances. "I was thinking maybe you and I could write a song together."

Rachel shifted in her seat and turned her head in amazement to be greeted by a warm hazel gaze. _Is she serious? I thought she despised me?_

"I'm with Quinn and Rachel. I mean, if these two can agree on something, it's probably an idea worth considering!" Finn exclaimed cheerfully. _Finally these two are getting along! Maybe they'll become close friends like Santana and Brittany!_

"Aright then, I think we are doing original songs for Regionals!" Mr Shue announced with the clapping of his hands, beckoning a round of applause from the whole club.

* * *

"Hey," Brittany whispered softly to Santana as she watched the Latina spinning her combination lock. They were almost alone in the halls as the students dispersed to their classrooms. "Can I ask you a question? We used to be really close and I really miss being your friend-"

"Still waiting for the question," Santana stung back, refusing to look at the other girl and focusing instead on her lock.

"Did I do something wrong?" Brittany asked softly, her voice as broken as the expression on Santana's face at hearing it.

"Look, I don't know – did you? All I know is that you blew me off to be with Stubbles McCripple Pants. It's fine, it's your loss 'cause now I get the chance to write an awesome heterosexual song about Sam that we're gonna sing at Regionals."

"Wait, you're still dating Sam? You told me that you were in love with me..."

"I honestly don't know what I was thinking," Santana replied without meeting the blonde's gaze. It was painful seeing the girl she loved with someone else. She couldn't look into those sweet ocean blues anymore. It just hurt too much. "Can you stop staring at me? I can't remember my locker combo."

Rachel walked down the hallways, keeping an eye out for anyone carrying a Big Gulp when she noticed the exchange in front of Santana's locker. Suddenly she was shoulder checked out of the way and into a locker by Sue Sylvester, who was approaching the two girls with an eager bounce in her step. Rachel watched in horror as the two ex Cheerios opened their lockers to be swamped by a face full of dirt.

Santana stormed toward the nearest bathroom and Rachel quickly rushed to her own locker to get her emergency slushie kit before following her.

"Santana?" Rachel called worriedly into the space of the bathroom.

"Berry? What do you want? No actually, never mind, I really don't care," Santana bit out as she rinsed out her mouth and dusted the dirt off of her and into the bathroom sink.

"I...I brought you some clean clothes."

Looking down at herself, Santana sighed at the knowledge that she did need to change but cringed at the thought of wearing Rachel's clothes. "Do they have any animals or revolting patterns on them?" Santana asked in a dull unamused tone as she splashed water on her face and wiped the remaining specs of dirt out of her eyes.

"No, actually these ones don't," Rachel said, perking up a bit as the Latina rolled her eyes and reluctantly reached her hand out to accept the bag, pulling out a short plain black skirt and a simple blue shirt that were actually quite flattering before heading into the cubical to change.

Emerging in the fresh clothes, Santana looked at herself in the mirror and nodded approvingly before turning to face the bubbly brunette who was putting her dirty (literally) clothes in a spare bag.

"I didn't know you owned _normal_ clothes," Santana stated, fixing her new outfit as she looked in the mirror.

"Well, I prefer my-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Santana dismissed Rachel's explanation with a wave of her hand. "You have a weird fetish for plaid and dress like Nancy Drew. Whatever."

Rachel pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips, trying to assume an intimidating stance, but failing miserably of course, much to the delight of the Latina who was holding back a snicker at the sight.

"I'll have you know that while plaid is quite flattering on me, I prefer argyle patterns. Also, Nancy Drew was an excellent sleuth and a brilliant intellectual so if you are making a comparison between her and I then I shall take that as a compliment," the little singer countered proudly, flipping her hair as she did so.

Santana burst out laughing hysterically at Rachel's antics before calming down enough to give a simple nod and flash her a small grin.

"Whatever Thumbelina. Can I go now?"

Rachel dropped her hands off of her hips and rolled her eyes.

"You don't have to ask my permission Santana. If you don't want my help or support, just go!" Rachel snapped, crossing her arms over her chest defensively and stomping her foot hard on the floor for emphasis.

"Actually I kinda do...You're blocking the door," Santana pointed out matter-of-factly before laughing again.

Rachel blushed in embarrassment, ducking her head as she stepped aside to allow the other girl passage through.

As Santana passed her, she stopped abruptly and turned to face Rachel who was now standing silent and stiff.

"You've helped me out two days in a row now without even needing to... or me being deserving of it. I want you to know, I appreciate it," Santana thanked, placing her hand on the shorter brunette's shoulder before exiting the bathroom and trying to figure out where the hell that she-devil of a cheer leading coach put her stuff.

Rachel smiled elatedly and did a little celebratory jig in her absence. She couldn't help but mentally quote one of her favourite classical movies _Casablanca _and think that _this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship!_

* * *

"Hey Quinn...Um...I was w-wondering...If you weren't busy that is...I-If you are I understand but I was hoping that, seeing as you supported me in glee the other day..." Rachel stumbled over her words as she nervously twitched her fingers by her sides.

Quinn turned around from her locker and rolled her eyes at the other girl's incessant rambling. "Have you somehow acquired Tina's stutter from last year?"

Rachel flushed slightly and Quinn waited impatiently demanding the diva to, "spit it out Berry!"

"Would you...Since you agreed to write an original song with me...would you like to go to my house and work on it with me tonight?"

_Oh gosh I completely forgot about that. She thinks that I really do want to be her friend…Do I? No. No, I-I don't…I don't want to go, but I can't let her distract Finn before prom either by having her ask him..._

"I would love to," Quinn answered quickly before turning on her heel towards her next class.

"Is five ok for you?" Rachel called out over the loud humming of the crowded hallway.

Quinn replied with a quick hand in the air but did so without looking back, missing the large smile that spread across Rachel's face.

* * *

At five to five, Rachel waited anxiously by the door, pacing up and down in preparation for her new friend's arrival. _Wait, is she my friend now? She did support me in Glee and accepted my offer to come over tonight... _She pinched the bridge of her nose and inhaled deeply.

"Rachel honey calm down, she'll be here soon," her shorter and fairer-skinned dad, Hiram, reassured her with a small smile and glance over his black rimmed glasses before returning to his newspaper.

She never really had study dates with other girls; only her boyfriends ever really came over to be alone with her, but they always had things other than studying on their minds. Kurt, Tina and Mercedes had only ever gone to her house to give her a makeover or to have movie marathons on her large full HD TV with surround sound that their own parents didn't allow them to have at their own homes. The party she threw earlier in the week was the first time anyone else from school had ever come. Study date. Why did she like the sound of that? _This isn't a date! _Rachel shook her head at the perplexing thought. _What if she doesn't come? _She face-palmed herself as the strange wave of thoughts crashed into her forehead, giving her a small headache. _What is wrong with you? She's Quinn Fabray remember? The girl that teased you relentlessly and made your high school life a living hell? Maybe this was a bad idea. What if she's playing a prank on me? What if when I open the door I'm met with a slushie facial? But...She _did _kiss me… Wow did she kiss me…_

The sound of a car door closing brought her back to reality. She skipped nervously to the front door and heard the light footsteps walking up her front porch. Before Quinn's fist could reach the door's surface to knock, it swung open to reveal a smile that lit up brighter than Christmas tree on the shorter girl's face.

"Please won't you come in?" Rachel asked, gesturing inside as she helped Quinn take off her white cardigan and hung it on the coat rack beside the door, leaving her in only her soft slue and white baby-doll dress. Her blonde hair was swooped over her left shoulder in flowing wavy locks. Rachel couldn't help but take the gorgeous girl before her in but quickly snapped to attention as Quinn raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the odd silence coming from the usually talkative diva.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Entering the living room of the Berry home, Quinn nervously gnawed on the inside of her cheek as she realised Rachel was about to introduce _her, _the girl that had made life hell for the diva since freshman year, to her fathers. _Oh God. Do they know about me? About what I've done to Rachel? Will they throw me out? _Rachel stepped forward and introduced Quinn to her Dad who gave her a welcoming smile.

"Dad this is Quinn, Quinn Fabray."

Quinn tentatively took a step forward to shake hands with the man that sat on the couch as he stood up to return the gesture.

"It's a pleasure Mr. Berry. You have a lovely home."

Hiram eyed the slightly trembling girl before him before answering warmly. "Please, call me Hiram. And the pleasure is all mine Quinn. Rachel's told us so much about you - it's nice to finally have a face to put to the name."

Quinn stiffened as a wave of panic hit her. _Oh no, he knows. _

Rachel noticed the lack of colour in Quinn's face and feared that the blonde was about to pass out.

"All good I promise," Rachel quickly added jovially, relaxing Quinn slightly before taking Quinn's hand, ignoring the warm sensation she felt at the action, and leading the blonde back toward the stairs.

Hiram laughed along as he saw his daughter practically drag the blonde up the staircase and down the hallway toward her room. He knew that her relationship with his daughter was less than friendly from the worried calls he had received from the school counsellor concerning Rachel's victimization at school. He knew that his daughter didn't want to tell him or his husband about it, and whenever he tried to broach the subject she would simply deny that anything anyone did or said had any effect on her and that she was fine. He had also heard the gossip that spread around Lima about the Fabray's and what they had done when they discovered their daughter's pregnancy, and it disgusted him. He did know about Quinn Fabray. The good and the bad. Having now met the girl and seen the obviously terrified nervous wreck she was before him, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He realised that if Rachel could take it upon herself to give Quinn another chance to trust herself with her former tormentor and forgive her of whatever transpired between them at school, then so could he.

Approaching the final door to the right Quinn chuckled because _of course this was Rachel's room._ A large gold star donned its surface with 'Rachel Berry' written in fancy looping script in its centre. Walking inside, it was just as Quinn had always pictured it and partially seen in the background of Rachel's old MySpace videos. The walls were a bright light yellow and posters of famous musicals and classical movies that Rachel often enthusiastically spoke of covered them. She noticed a large neat library of sheet music dedicated to Broadway musicals and many of her favourite books in Rachel's bookshelf; all arranged by genre and in alphabetical order of course. She smiled a little at seeing that Alice in Wonderland was slightly hanging out of the shelf, indicating that Rachel must have read it recently.

As Rachel closed the door behind them, Quinn took in the other details around the meticulous room. The desk was organised, the famous elliptical machine Rachel bragged about using every morning sat in the furthest corner and the bed was neatly made. Reaching down and feeling the incredibly soft comforter, stroking it and its obvious high threat count softness between her fingers. Quinn had to admit, she was impressed.

"So, did you have anything in mind?" Rachel asked as she eyed Quinn and took a step towards her and the bed. Quinn spun around rapidly before springing away from both Rachel and the bed and shaking her head of the idea that had come to mind at hearing the completely innocent question that had brought up a less than innocent thought.

Rachel tilted her head adorably in question of Quinn's reaction before taking a seat on the soft white carpeted floor next to the foot of her bed and patted it, motioning for Quinn to join her.

"No, not really," Quinn admitted with a one armed shrug as she took a seat and some blank paper and a pen from Rachel's hand. She stared at it, hoping that the song lyrics for an amazing original number would just flow out of her brain so she could get the hell out of _Rachel Berry's bedroom_.

As a couple of hours passed and night quickly rolled by, both girls had had no immediate success, but continued scribbling away in their notebooks determinedly wanting to come up with _something_ to show for all their time and effort. Rachel tapped her pen nervously as she reread the lyrics that she had just written. Noticing hazel eyes quickly glancing at her inconspicuously throughout the night, she decided to chance a glance at the blonde through her long eyelashes. Quinn sat cross-legged with the page resting on her thigh, scribbling something on her paper.

As she focused on the shapes of her hand motions, Rachel realised she wasn't writing words but…_Wait, is she drawing?_ The corner of Quinn's lips quirked upwards as she gracefully glided the pen in long precise strokes along the smooth page. Rachel looked on in wonder. _What in the world is she drawing?_ Curiosity getting the better of her, Rachel slowly lifted her head up higher, attempting to sneak a peek at the illustration. Noticing her movements, Quinn froze momentarily in panic before rapidly pulling the paper into her chest, holding it out of Rachel's view and cautiously placing it face down on the carpet.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked with a quiet fascination.

"Nothing. I-I'm trying to think of song lyrics. Have you written anything?" Quinn deflected in the hope that the other girl wouldn't persist any further.

Rachel sighed softly and looked back down at her own page. She decided it was worth a shot to see how the blonde reacted to the lyrics she had written.

"Okay, how about this one. I call it 'Back in My Arms'," Rachel asked tentatively, placing her pen down and walking over to her Casio keyboard in the corner of the room. She played a few notes, making sure it was set to the appropriate pitch before letting her bold voice fill the room.

_"I know we've had our differences..._

_Fights galore,_

_What a bore._

_But babe,_

_I can't live without your charms._

_I need you...back in my arms."_

Rachel finished playing the last key and then looked at Quinn expectantly. There was insecurity and something else in her eyes that Quinn couldn't quite recognise.

"So?" Rachel asked apprehensively as she fiddled with the cuff of her sweater and bit her bottom lip between her teeth. "What do you think?"

Quinn hesitated as her heart rate picked up and her eyes darted down back to her own papers. _Who was that song about? It had to be Finn didn't it? She still likes him. I know she does. But why is she looking at me that way...could she have been singing to...No, no she wouldn't. She loves Finn. God, she's still looking at me and I haven't responded yet. Quick say something!_

"..."

_Really? You can't even form a word or single syllable?_

"_Umm..."_

_Well that's a start. It's not that good a song but it isn't terrible. She sounded amazing. But then again, she made Run Joey Run sound good so I guess that doesn't mean the song is any good - only she is. Crap, she's still waiting for me to say something._

"Well?" Rachel asked again, her confidence shattering at the blonde's apprehension to comment. _That must mean that she hated it_ she thought with despondent sigh.

Quinn noticed the dismay in Rachel's face and began to panic once again. _What does it matter if it is about Finn? He's_ your_ boyfriend. Not hers. But still, why does it bother me so much? It's not like she would sing about anyone else. I don't want her singing to Finn though. I need him to be my king._

"Bad idea!" Quinn quickly blurted out before she could stop herself.

"What?" Rachel questioned, a little thrown. "What's wrong with it?"

"I just...don't think that it's good enough for Regional's." _Yeah, that made sense._

"Oh...Didn't _you_ like it though?"

Quinn let her gaze wander up to Rachel's again and scoured her face for any clue to see if there was any deeper meaning behind her question. Seeing sparkling brown eyes looking directly into hers Quinn felt her heart rate elevate. _She can't sing that. Finn will definitely hear it and know it's about him and go running back to her. I need her to stay away from him. _

"Rachel, you're so much more...I don't know, awesome now that you're single. A girl like you needs to be destroyed and humiliated to be at your best." Quinn rushed out before mentally cursing herself for her poor choice of words toward the end.

"I'm sorry?" Rachel was stunned at what was leaving Quinn's mouth. "Is that why you bullied me last year? Because you thought you were helping me?" Her pitch rised a little higher now at that thought.

Quinn shook her head before elaborating, "I meant because you're an artist and you perform at your best when you have experience in what you're meant to be feeling during a particular song and it shows in your voice. You have talent, Rachel...You don't need the burden of a relationship. Move on."

"Have you?" Rachel asked accusingly.

"I'm the president of the celibacy club now remember?"

"You didn't answer the question. Finn told me when he kissed you he saw fireworks."

"I have that effect on men." Rachel's posture visibly stiffened at Quinn's words and her face slightly flushed a rosy pink. _And women too it seems _Rachel thought before tuning back into what Quinn was saying.

"I mean, Rachel – look at this face. Really look at it. It intoxicates men. One time my mom took me to the bank with her, and the male teller was so drunk off of my good looks he gave my mom an extra five dollars. My beauty blinds them, just like your talent does."

"Then why did you kiss him and cheat on Sam with him after?"

"I kissed Finn at the kissing booth because Sam was pushing me to and to raise money for the Glee Club. I was his first, thus the fireworks-"

"Did you see them when you kissed him too?"

"I..." Quinn drifted off before scowling at Rachel and straightening her posture again. "Why don't you ever listen to anybody other than yourself? I told you to mind your own business and keep your big Jewish nose out of mine and Finn's relationship." Rachel frowned as she looked down cross-eyed at the nose in question before sighing sadly. It had always been one of her largest (literally) insecurities. Seeing how subconscious Rachel was now being of herself, Quinn quickly made the point she had originally intended to. "I don't like the idea of you singing that to _my _man."

Rachel huffed and crossed her arms in front of her before scoffing loudly. "It wasn't even about Finn, but thank you for your blatant and brazen bluntness Quinn."

Opening her mouth to retort, Quinn stopped as confusion crossed her features. "I...Wait, what? Well, who else would it be about?"

Rachel opened and closed her mouth repeatedly like a fish out of water, but couldn't form any words before the sound of the front door opening and closing was heard, followed by footsteps in the hallway.

"My Daddy must have just finished work. Can we work on this later?" The brunette asked with slumped shoulders as she fidgeted with the bottom of one of her favourite owl sweaters.

"Uh sure, I guess."

"Would you like to..." _No of course she wouldn't _like_ to._ "You're welcome to join us for dinner," Rachel offered politely but still refused to look up into confused hazel eyes.

"It's getting late and I have an English paper due tomorrow that I need to finish," Quinn explained as Rachel gave a small barely detectable nod before adding, "but thank you for the offer."

Kneeling down on the carpet, Rachel helped Quinn gather her things. As they collected the paper they had been scribbling on for the trash, Quinn and Rachel both reached for the page that Quinn had been drawing on and their hands met half way, causing both of them to freeze mid-reach then look up at the opposing hand's offender. Quinn felt her pulse race again at being so close to Rachel and her luscious plump lips. Seeing the other girl once again gnaw on her bottom lip with her pearly white teeth, Quinn quickly took the opportunity that the distraction provided, snatching the paper off of the floor and scrunching it into a ball before shoving it in her bag. Rachel soon sobered from Quinn's overwhelming influence and placed the papers in the bin beside her desk before thanking Quinn for coming over and walking her to her car.

"Do you think we could meet up at lunch tomorrow in the auditorium? I want to keep working on it." Rachel asked as Quinn removed her keys from her handbag to open the door.

"Sure Berry." Quinn replied before putting her car in drive and backing out of the driveway and heading home. The whole trip back Quinn had only one question in her mind – who was that song about?

* * *

"What do you want to wear to prom?" Quinn questioned Finn as she watched him put his books back into his locker.

"Prom, what?" He mumbled in confusion as Quinn gave him a sweet smile.

"I know you're excited about Regionals and so am I. Wasn't I the one that supported Rachel's crazy original song idea?"

"Yeah. That was cool by the way," Finn admitted as he closed his locker and stared into focused hazel eyes.

"But, whether we win that or even nationals, it's not going to put you and I back where we belong."

"Which is where?"

"On top."

"On top of what?"

Finn's lack of a clue was really frustrating but Quinn held her nerve and plastered on her Fabray smile before continuing sweetly.

"We need to get elected for prom king and queen – it's the ultimate status symbol. So after regionals, we go public with our relationship and start the campaign!"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Finn mumbled as he began walking to his next class, leaving the blonde standing alone against his locker.

Quinn blinked furiously behind the tall boy's back before following him.

"Why?" Her tone was stronger now than before as she walked faster and stood in his path. "Because of Rachel?"

Finn paused and sighed sadly. "She's really fragile right now. I just think that we should wait until after nationals."

"Ok, first it was after Regionals and now it's after nationals? Do you want to be in this relationship or not?" Quinn stated firmly, giving him the ultimatum.

"Woah. Scary Quinn. Ok, uhhh, after Regionals."

"After Regionals." Quinn repeated smiling again and taking her place back next to him as they walked down the corridor. Neither one of them noticed Rachel emerging from a nearby classroom, or were aware that she had just heard their entire conversation.

* * *

Rachel slowly walked onto the auditorium stage to meet Quinn who sat at the piano in the centre of the stage, playing a soft tune.

"You're late," Quinn shot out as Rachel approached the side of the piano.

Rachel ignored her remark and got straight to the point. She knew Quinn and Finn were lying to her. Was everything Quinn told her a lie? Was she just being supportive of her in order to stop her from being with Finn? _It was all just a game to her wasn't it? Befriending me and spending time with me. Hell, she probably only kissed me to ensure that I wouldn't doubt how much she hates me! I will win Finn back. She can't keep us apart. _The thought brought a feeling of spiteful anger but she calmed herself before she began to speak.

"We're friends, right?" She calmly asked as she studied the blonde's reaction to her words.

Quinn looked down at the ebony and ivory piano keys and felt her hand twitch nervously along them before replying a little hesitantly.

"Yeah I guess so."

"I mean like, everything happened last year...You gave your baby to my mom; we kind of bonded over it, right?"

"What's your point?"

"My point is, is that, I know we haven't spent a lot of time together this year but I thought that we were close enough to be honest with each other."

"Go ahead, ask me," Quinn spoke in a flat, emotionless tone at seeing where Rachel was heading with the conversation.

"Fine. Are you and Finn together?" Rachel asked in a small voice. She already knew the answer, she just wanted to hear it from Quinn's mouth. She needed to know that she would be honest with her if she really asked.

"Yes," Quinn replied as she met Rachel's eyes. "It's been a couple of weeks," she deadpanned before releasing a small sarcastic laugh. "It's like groundhogs day with you Rachel. How many times do you have to make the same mistake to realise it's not gonna work out?"

Rachel looked away and clenched her jaw before staring at the hardwood floor. They were playing her all along.

"Well thank you for being honest with me Quinn," Rachel spoke in a slightly shaky voice as the pain of knowing she was just a pawn in Quinn's never ending game of chess hurt her. The words that continued to leave her mouth hurt even more so. "I-I'm happy for you and Finn." Quinn pursed her lips and exhaled slowly as Rachel fought back tears that were turning her eyes glassy. "But, don't try to rewrite history ok? It was real between us. He chose me over you!"

"And how long did that last for?" Quinn rebuked sternly.

Rachel shook her head and felt her whole body start to shake too. She was not going to cry. She wouldn't give Quinn the satisfaction.

"Why are you being so mean?"

Quinn stood up from the piano and walked around to bring Rachel and her face to face.

"Do you want to know how this story plays out? I get Finn, you get heartbroken and then Finn and I stay here and start a family. I'll become a successful real estate agent and Finn will take over Kurt's Dad's tyre shop..." Looking at the now broken expression on Rachel's face Quinn could feel her heart rate pick up and a sharp stabbing pain in her chest. She felt her throat close up and felt more than heard her own voice cracking as the wave of emotion hit her.

"You don't belong here Rachel, and you can't hate me for helping to send you on your way."

Quinn's lip quivered as Rachel continued to visibly deflate before her. She wished Rachel could understand how much more there was to her than her relationship status.

Rachel opened her mouth and shook her head vehemently at the blonde's words.

"I'm not giving up on Finn..." Rachel tried. "It's not over between us-" she didn't know if she was talking about Finn or Quinn anymore. She just felt the need to speak those words in that moment as she tried to hold her emotions at bay.

"YES IT IS! You're so frustrating!" Quinn exclaimed as she curled her hand into a tense fist. _Why can't she understand that I'm trying to _help_ her? God, she's so clueless! _"And _that_ is why you can't write a good song, because you live in this little school girl fantasy of life. Rachel, if you _keep_ looking for that happy ending then you are _never_ gonna get it right! So we're done with that. Why don't we just return to our work, ok?" she sighed heavily, taking her seat back at the piano and trying to control her now increased breathing.

Rachel stood there and closed her eyes as the words replayed themselves in her mind. _You're never gonna get it right! _She knew now what Quinn's real motives were. She wasn't her friend. She never was. And she never wanted to be.

"No," Rachel responded hoarsely, just above a whisper. "I think I'm going to write this song on my own."

She took one last look into the hazel eyes that stared at her with swirling emotions before turning her back on them and walking away from their view. Rushing away from the piano, Rachel held herself together just long enough to escape the blonde's sight, before scrunching her eyes tightly and allowing her held back tears to flow freely.

* * *

As the curtain rolled up, Rachel walked on stage to face the large audience before her. Taking her place behind the mic, she closed her eyes and counted to ten in her head. Here she was, at Regionals, in the spotlight and performing a solo. Normally she would be feeling at home. This was where she belonged and it normally comforted her, but today she wasn't singing someone else's song – she would be singing her own. _Our own heart and soul – not just our voices... _Quinn's husky voice echoed in her head as the piano began to play. She clenched one fist by her side and took the mic in her other hand determinedly. This was it.

Just as Santana had done during 'Landslide', Rachel poured her heart out into every lyric as she turned to the side of the stage to face the inspiration for her song.

Quinn stood behind Finn with crossed arms and an unreadable expression on her face. Rachel knew she was listening to the words and processing them and how Finn would react to hearing them. Would he run back to Rachel? Would he still go to prom with her? The tall boy was smiling goofily as he watched his ex sing. She turned back to the audience and put every inch of her being into the next few lyrics, hoping that their message would get across.

_"Then finally,_

_Someone will see_

_How much I care!"  
_

As she reached the crescendo and hit the high note she knew she would be just fine. She was Rachel Berry. If Quinn thought that anything was going to stop her from getting Finn back, she was wrong.

* * *

Bursting out the auditorium's back door and into the empty school car park, Quinn staggered toward the dumpster and kicked its side heatedly before unleashing her frustrations out on the brick wall beside her, punching it irately with her fist, grazing her knuckles and causing blood to seep from the fresh wound.

"Damn it!" She yelled to nobody as Rachel's harmonious voice continued to echo in her mind.

The sound of the back door opening again caught her attention, only to reveal a worried Brittany that poked her head out from side to side before eyeing the distraught blonde. Quinn hid her bloodied hand under her arms, crossing them over her chest as Brittany walked briskly over to her and took in the overall wounded appearance of the other girl as she did.

"Q why are you so upset? We just won!" Brittany tried to encourage with a smile but Quinn maintained avoidance to the blue eyes focused on her.

Brittany frowned before reaching out and trying to pry one of Quinn's hands out and into hers. Her eyes dropped sadly as she noticed the cuts and gently traced over the blood with her fingertips before reaching into her dress pocket and pulling out a small blue handkerchief with smiling yellow ducks blotted all along it. Wiping the blood away and tying it around Quinn's hand like a makeshift bandage, Brittany brought the hand up to her lips, placing a sweet kiss on the bruising hand before holding the injury in her palms and waiting patiently until the shorter blonde released a long shaky breath and turned to finally face her.

"Finn's going to leave me for her."

"Who?" Brittany questioned as she tried to figure out why Quinn had been so angry that she had to physically release her tension on the wall.

"Who do you think? Rachel! I saw the way he was watching her. He had that irritating love-sick dopey look on his face when she sang to him!"

"How do you know she was singing to Finn?"

"Because I was standing right there! Right behind him!"

Brittany pressed her lips together thoughtfully before asking the question that she knew would either confirm her suspicions from the party the other week (and those that had lingered since freshman year).

"Are you upset because you think Rachel sang that song to Finn, or not to you?"

Quinn gasped at the unexpected and affronting question before shaking her hand free of Brittany's clutches and backing away.

"W-What?! I don't know what you're trying to imply B."

"I'm not trying to ply anything Q. My dad never lets me near his tools in the shed anyways." Brittany said simply as she took a step forward toward her again. "But I think you do know what I mean, but you're just too scared to admit it."

Quinn shook her head in denial as her gaze blurred from the gathering unshed tears. Brittany ducked down and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, hugging her warmly. Quinn desperately returned the hug as she shook in the taller blonde's arms and burrowed her face into Brittany's shoulder.

"I'm just scared B, and I'm not even sure of what."

Quinn felt Brittany nod as the blonde spoke softly right beside her ear. "I think what Rachel's song was trying to say that in order to get things right, we need to stop doubting ourselves, to just have faith and to stop trying to live up to other's expectations. We need to do what's right for us and what makes us happy. To show others our true self in order to know if we are truly appreciated and loved for who we are, not who we are trying to be. And you know what? I don't think Rachel would sing a song like that to Finn."

Quinn rose her head from it's perch to meet complete honesty in ocean blue eyes. "When did you get so smart B?" Quinn gave a watery smile before Brittany returned it easily.

"I like to watch Dr. Phil and Oprah with my dad sometimes. You learn heaps about emotions and stuff," she shrugged.

Quinn sighed dejectedly as Brittany's interpretation of the message of the song confronted her. "I... I can't B."

"Can't what? Be honest to her, or yourself?"

"You don't understand how hard it is."

Brittany frowned as her gaze hardened. "Don't I? I think that I understand better that others Q because Rachel and I are actually really alike. Sure we don't look the same or talk or dress the same, but we do both want someone that is too afraid to want us in return. And it hurts knowing that, no matter what we do or say, they will keep pushing us away until you feel like you're worlds apart, and that just sucks."

Quinn blanked as Brittany turned away and wrapped her arms protectively around her own waist as she walked back toward the backstage door and swung it open, holding it open with one hands and making her way half through it.

"Just make me one promise Q," Brittany sighed sadly over her shoulder. "Promise me that that you'll try to do what's best for her, and not what's safest for you."

Quinn could only stare back with a vacant expression, causing Brittany to shake her head in disappointment as she let the door close behind her.

"I'm trying B. I'm trying."

* * *

The next day at school Quinn approached Mr Shuester and handed him a small trophy with a gold shooting star atop a podium.

"Mr Shue I think that we should have an award for the MVP of every competition we win," she explained as he took the trophy out of her hands.

"That's a very good idea Quinn! I'll get everyone to vote and we can tally them-"

"I already have Mr Shue and it was unanimous. Rachel was our star. She always has been."

Nodding with approval Mr Shue placed a gentle hand on Quinn's shoulder and smiled.

"I'll let everyone know that you thought of the idea and the trophy."

"No!" Quinn jumped in causing Mr Shue to crease his brow in confusion. "Please, don't...I-It would be best if they think that it came from you. They...They look up to you and might not appreciate it if they knew it was coming from me."

Satisfied with that, he simply nodded and followed Quinn out of his office and to choir room. As Quinn took her seat in the second row, beside Finn, Will held up the sparkling award in his hand and announced the deserving winner of it to the whole room.

Rachel gasped at the gesture as a bright smile graced her features for the first time in what felt like a while as she crossed the room towards Mr Shue and graciously accepted the trophy. Applause rang out from everyone, including Quinn. She couldn't help but feel torn. _Is she being genuine or just putting on the act so that Finn thinks she actually cares about me at all?_

"It's funny," the small diva began, as she turned and looked over the gold star in her hands. "I've won a lot of trophies before for singing competitions and dancing competitions but, I've always felt like the girl who never gets the brass ring, and maybe I never will..."

Her gaze was drawn to Finn's light brown eyes and she held it for a moment before scanning over the rest of the room. She could feel her bottom lip begin to quiver as she met all of her supportive teammates eyes; even Quinn's.

"But today, and at Regionals, the way you guys believed in me and took a chance with me...All I've ever wanted was to feel special and to feel chosen and I just wanted to thank you guys so much for giving me that." As her smile broke out even wider, revealing her accompanying dimples, a small tear broke free and traced a path down the curve of her cheek and jaw line as she finished her thankful speech.

Quinn smiled to herself as she sat back from the massing people drawing around in a group hug that was ngulfing Rachel and swallowing her whole. She knew she had done the right thing for Rachel. Finn would only hold her back. He wouldn't be able to support her or follow her and her dreams to Broadway. How would she have felt when she wanted to pursue her dreams but couldn't have Finn follow her to New York? She would be forced to choose between the two because she wouldn't be able to have both. Knowing the diva, Quinn knew that, being the hopeless romantic that Rachel is, the brunette would have chosen what she thought was 'love' over her dreams, thus being stuck living an empty life in Lima forever, always wondering 'what-if'. It would only result in a greater heartbreak for her than what Quinn had done.

She just hoped that Rachel could see that and eventually forgive her for trying to keep her and Finn apart.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Thank you to those of you that have followed and reviewed! This episode didn't have many Faberry or Brittana scenes so I focused on the characters and their interaction with other members. Don't stress, I'm just building up the story and friendships.

I'd like to quickly thank xxDark Angel Babyxx, YouTellMe and Angi for their consistent support by reviewing and haelthy and imaferrari for voicing their opinions on the last chapter. Some of you feared that Pezberry would be more than just a friendship but don't worry – Santana is in love with Brittany and she will be a major factor in the Faberry relationship developing. Feel free to share your opinions on the story, what you would like to see and what you're excited for!

Quick note: I try to keep the story as close to canon as I can so it can seem more authentic and realistic –changes are obviously made but I'd like to think that after reading a chapter corresponding to an episode, you can watch the episode and see the story playing before your eyes! Let me know if you like this or if you would prefer more AU scenes!

Thanks again for reading :)

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**A Night of Neglect**

Rachel couldn't help but smile at herself as she ticked off her accomplishments on her 'to do' list pasted in her locker. Create original song – check. Win Regionals – check. She had done it. She had not only won them Regionals with her own original song but also finally stood up to Quinn. Evaluating her hair and adjusting her black headband in the star studded mirror that hung on her locker door, she spun around startled at the sound of Quinn's voice.

"Nice trophy Berry."

Rachel narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips at the blonde before looking into her locker at the glistening MVP trophy that sat proudly inside. "What do you want Quinn?"

"Look, I know I was kind of hard on you last week, but I was just trying to help you find your best self."

Rachel scoffed incredulously. "Is that how you see it?"

"You needed someone to be honest with you for you to be able to write that song," Quinn explained simply with a one armed shrug.

"Maybe. Don't expect any thanks though."

"Fair enough. Still, Finn and I are kind of officially dating now and I hope that you can find it in yourself to support us."

Rachel huffed as she crossed her arms in front of her. "Try tolerate."

"I don't expect you to be supportive of our relationship, but hopefully you can be supportive of our prom queen and king campaign."

"How do you know I'm not going to run? Threatened?"

Quinn snorted as she leaned against the locker beside Rachel's. "_Please_."

"You know what Quinn Fabray, you should be. Don't know if you noticed how Finn was looking at me while I was singing my song at Regionals."

Quinn's jaw locked and her fists clenched reflexively at the memory, eliciting a wince of pain as she remembered her still sore hand, tucking it away behind her back. Rachel studied her curiously before looking up at hazel that swam with vulnerability.

Before Rachel could question the blonde's obvious apprehension, Finn joined them and stood beside Quinn with a small surprised grin at seeing his girlfriend and his other ex talking what he assumes was friendlily.

"So, uh, The Brainiacs asked us to be benefit heads for 'The Night of Neglect'," Finn informed her sheepishly.

"And we would like to select you head of talent relations," Quinn chimed in with a newly appeared plastered on sickeningly sweet smile as Finn draped his arm around her shoulders in support.

"We figured, you're probably used to relating to talent because you're so talented," Finn offered, giving her his signature half-smile that she once used to swoon over.

Rachel held back an eye roll at the duo before responding. "Well, first, I'm honoured that you came to me but I think it's a little insensitive of you to be flaunting your dating in my face."

Quinn shook her head but her smile only grew larger at seeing the tiny diva trying to assert some sort of authority. _God she is so irritating! I mean, not five seconds have passed and already she's ignored everything we've just said! And again, it's all about Finn. Of course. _

"Finntastic!" Quinn interrupted quickly before Rachel could continue, her word play catching the diva off guard. "Because we are having problems with one of our performers."

"Stars make demands the way babies make messes in their diapers – they can't help it. What a star wants is to just feel appreciated and respected. They just want to feel like they're being heard."

"She seemed pretty serious," Finn admitted, looking to his girlfriend for confirmation.

"Well, obviously hers is a talent that we have neglected! I can relate. So leave it to me – I'll take care of it," Rachel said as she closed her locker and took off down the hall in the opposite direction to her ex and her on again off again nemesis.

Looking up at Finn, Quinn smiled as her boyfriend gave his _less-work-for-me_ smirk before they headed off to class. If anyone could handle a diva like Mercedes, it would be an even bigger diva like Rachel.

* * *

As Kurt gave Blaine an informative tour of his old high school, pointing out the choir room and Spanish rooms that he had spent so many hours in, they were met with an excited Artie and Brittany who reminded them to get to their seats before the show started. Saying goodbye to his former New Direction teammates, Kurt and Blaine stood in the now empty corridors of WMHS. Blaine knew that his boyfriend had sorely missed his friends after transferring to Dalton. His old glee club was like a second family to him and if it weren't for Karofsky, Kurt wouldn't have been driven away from them. _It wasn't all bad though_ Blaine thought as he looked into his boyfriends eyes and flashed him a soft understanding smile. _If he had never transferred I would never have met him. _Blaine had always thought that everything that happened in life had meaning or purpose. He would never have wanted anyone to bully Kurt but in some strange roundabout way, he was thankful that they had. It sounded terrible Blaine thought _but if it weren't for the bullying that drove him away, we may never have found each other. I never would have found love._ Before Blaine could say anything else a familiar voice called out to them from behind.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" David demanded as he glared angrily between the two shorter boys.

"We're here for the benefit. Don't tell me your going," Kurt answered calmly. Blaine knew he was trying to sound confident and fearless in the face of his former harasser but his high pitched voice had a hint of terror beneath it.

"I wouldn't be caught dead! I was pumping iron in the gym and one of the guys told me you two were here spreading your fairy dust all over the place."

The taller Warbler rose up to defend both himself and Kurt.

"Would you just give it up!" Blaine snapped. He wasn't going to let this moron make either of them feel threatened or ruin their night "You can live whatever lie you want but don't pretend what the three of us don't know what's really going on here"

"You don't know SQUAT butt boy!" Karofsky spat.

Blaine lost his cool. Pulling his hands out of his jacket pockets, he lunged forward and shoved the tall jock backwards. Karofsky retaliated by grabbing a hold of the jacket and pushing back with just as much force before Santana entered the corridor and broke the two of them up before anyone got hurt.

"Real brave with your fists but you're a coward when it comes to the truth!" Kurt chided at his former tormentor.

"Truth about what?" Santana inquired interestedly.

"It's none of your business J-Lo!" the jock quickly hollered at the Latina

Santana raised her eyebrows in surprise at the supposed insult (which really wasn't very good because J-Lo was a great dancer and had a nice ass) before a flashback of David hurling a cherry slushy in her face sprung into her mind. She instantly changed her demeanour to a threatening and confident one, stepping forward to get into David's personal space.

"First of all, anything you do became my business when you decided to toss that slushy up in my grill!"

"I think I can take a couple of _queers _and a _girl_."

Santana scoffed loudly before moving even closer. "Ok see, here's what's gonna go down. Two choices – you stay here and I crack one of your nuts - Right or left, that's your choice. Or, you walk away and live to be a _douchebag _another day! Oh and also, I have razorblades hidden in my hair. Mmhm, tons, just all up in there," She threatened as she gesticulated wildly with her hands around her dark hair.

Karofsky groaned loudly as he threw his arms up in annoyance and stalked away.

"We could have handled that," Blaine assured, giving her a thankful look and earning a smile in return.

"It was more fun doing it together," Santana responded easily. She would be damned if she let some idiot football player hurt Kurt again after everything he went through. She knew that if she was open about her sexuality and didn't have her self-confidence and fiery temper, she could have easily have been the one receiving death threats – not just Kurt. The moment was cut short by the vibrating of her phone alerting her to Sunshine's twitter update saying that she and her followers wouldn't be attending the benefit. This was going to be a hell of a night.

"Everything ok?"

"No everything just turned to shit actually."

"Anything we can do to help?" Blaine offered supportively.

"Just, be there for the club. It looks like we'll be performing to an empty theatre."

"No you won't. We will be cheering our hearts out. Don't worry, we'll always will be here for you guys," Kurt smiled reassuringly. "If you ever need Blaine or me for anything, just holla at your boy," he finished with a wink.

"OK, you and Mercedes need to stop hanging out with each other so much. It's creepy how similar you two are. And about that offer? I'm going to hold you two to that," she tossed over her shoulder, causing Kurt to look at Blaine a little worriedly as they watched her strut back to the choir room.

* * *

"That was all kinds of awesome!" Mike boomed excitedly after finishing his dance number as the Glee club cheered and applauded him supportively.

"Good job Mike! Hey, sounds like the heckling club loved our refreshments!" Mr Shue encouraged enthusiastically.

"Yeah but we're almost out of that taffy. How are we going to keep them from going after us again after the intermission?" Quinn doubted sadly at the prospect of seeing anybody else performing only to be met with jeers and insults like Tina had.

"By being so good that they can't heckle us," Mr Shue reassured. "And I know just the person for the job! W-where's Mercedes?"

Everyone turned expectantly toward the fogged up windows in the choir room office which Mercedes had taken ownership of after demanding humidifiers and to being treated like the star she was.

Lauren emerged with her arms crossed and a smug look on her face as she informed them that Mercedes wasn't content with the treatment she was receiving and that she had left the building.

Rachel looked at Quinn and was met with a small nod in response. This is why they chose her to be the head of talent relations. Quinn had known that the only person that could hold this Glee club together was their true captain, Rachel. Putting rivalries aside, the two of them had a silent conversation with their eyes and agreed that it was now up to Rachel to bring back the second biggest diva in Glee club.

* * *

After checking the girls bathroom, cafeteria and locker bays, Rachel knew that there was only one other place that hadn't been checked – the parking lot. Putting on her waterproof jacket, she ran out into the car park and toward Mercedes' black SUV.

"Let me in!" Rachel begged, knocking on the passenger side window as the rain poured down on her, chilling her to the bone.

The click of the car's lock sounded and the shorter diva scurried inside to find the warmth and dryness of the car. Mercedes sat in the driver's seat, looking out the front window and watching the droplets of rain race each other.

"We've all been looking for you."

"Don't bother with the pep talk – I'm not going back in there," Mercedes deadpanned. "My demands were not met-"

Rachel took a deep breath and interrupted her quickly. She knew that if she let Mercedes continue she might begin a diva rant.

"Have you ever read anything about Aretha Franklin?" Rachel asked earnestly only to be met with a blank expression from the other girl. "She was a gospel singer. Then one day she went to this show – nothing fancy, it was just like, a state fair – and the master of ceremonies hands her a tiara and calls her the queen of soul. And _that's _how she earned her crown._ That's_ how she gained all of her respect! Not by requesting for special pillows or food, but for doing what she does best – singing!"

Mercedes sat there in silence, taking in all of Rachel's words. She no longer put up the diva facade and looked into the brown supportive eyes of the girl beside her.

"I just don't get it...Why are you a bigger star than me? You always get the big solos, the best songs, the moments in the sun...Why is it never me?"

Rachel could hear the sorrow in the other girl's voice. It was true; she did get the best songs and solos. She had always thought that it was because nobody else had the ability to perform as well as she did but she now knew, after spending so much time with the rest of the Glee club, that that wasn't true.

"I don't know," Rachel said honestly. "I mean, you're just as good of a singer as I am."

"Yeah, and everyone actually likes me," Mercedes said softly. There was no attack in her words but only honesty. Rachel knew that she wasn't liked. If the past weeks have taught her anything, it was that her 'friends' only tolerated her for her talent – not for her personality. Quinn had certainly confirmed that.

"That's your problem! Because I would rather be a star than be liked, alright and, I'm not saying that it's healthy and I'm not saying that it's better than being _loved_," Rachel gulped and closed her eyes with a sigh. "But, there's nothing...nothing that I wouldn't do for the chance to be in the spotlight."

Mercedes sighed heavily as she too ducked her head and closed her eyes. "I just...really wanted that closing slot."

Looking up and taking Mercedes' hand in her own, Rachel looked her determinedly in the eyes and made sure she fulfilled her role that Quinn had assigned to her as leader properly. "Well, if you want that closing slot, then go in there and take it from me!"

* * *

As Mercedes sang, the local church choir joined and backed her up, giving the sound a gospel feel. It was beautiful. The emotion in the girl's voice was so strong and pure that Rachel thought she saw a few tears being shed by some of the Glee club and surprisingly by her former teacher and former heckler, Sandy Ryerson.

As the soulful diva sang the following lyrics, Rachel couldn't help but glance down toward Finn and Quinn longingly at seeing Finn's arm resting around the blonde's chair and having her lean into his shoulder.

_"It ain't no way for me to love you,_

_If you won't let me._

_Stop trying to be someone you're not._

_And if you need me to love you,_

_Say, say you do._

_Oh, then baby, baby, baby,_

_Don't you know that I need you."_

Quinn lay on Finn's arm and was awestruck, as was everyone else, at how truly amazing Mercedes was. As she heard the same lyrics Rachel had, she didn't know why but she looked for the little brunette among the seated Glee clubbers, only to remember that she wasn't there. Leaning back into Finn she sighed quietly and enjoyed the rest of the performance, applauding wildly at the end for her friend.

Rachel stood stage side and gave Mercedes her biggest smile as she walked off the stage toward her.

"Alright girl!" Mercedes chimed happily as she came off of the high her performance had just given her. "Time for the closing number - go bring the house down."

"Are you kidding me? Nobody could follow that, ok. The house has been brought down! That _was _the closing number."

Mercedes smiled a 1000 watt smile as she enveloped the small girl in a tight hug.

Later back in the choir room, Mercedes sat next to Rachel in the back row and both girls couldn't stop smiling and chattering away after Mr Ryerson offered to pay for the Glee club's trip to nationals and for The Braniacs' trip to Detroit after admiring Mercedes' performance so much.

_Finally, things are looking up!_ Rachel thought as she got her own high in the solace of solidifying a true friendship.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** This is by far my favourite chapter so far! Loved writing it! I've gone a little AU in it and some scenes are ordered differently to the canon but I'm trying to keep it as authentic as possible.

I found that I had so much to write about this episode so I'll be splitting it into two chapters. Please review, follow and favourite! I would love to hear what you think :D

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Born This Way**

"My dads will be here in 15 minutes. You don't have to stay Finn," Rachel said softly as she sat on the doctor's bench and held an ice-pack to her bruised nose.

"No, I wanna wait and hear what the doctor says. I feel terrible."

"Won't Quinn be mad at you sitting vigil at my bedside?"

"Well, I'm standing," he replied dumbly, "and she'd understand how awful I feel even if it's not broken."

"It's broken," The doctor chimed in as he sauntered over to the light box on the wall and placed an x-ray on top of it, illuminating the image of the fractured bone.

"Well I knew I was a bad dancer but I never thought my dancing was dangerous!" Finn exclaimed as his guilt grew even more.

"It's a clean break so I won't have to set it. Considering your deviated septum I'd consider this a terrific opportunity for a little vanity adjustment."

"Are you suggesting that I get a nose job?" Rachel questioned in shock before looking to Finn for his opinion.

"Your 16 right? That's when I gave my daughters theirs. It's like a rite of passage for Jewish girls."

"First of all, I like how I look," Rachel stated with a slight underlying tone of doubt.

"Is she your girlfriend?" The doctor directed toward Finn who slouched against a bench, still reeling at how bad his dancing was.

"No..." Finn softy said, looking everywhere but at Rachel. Rachel turned away from Finn at the mention of _her _and what had transpired between herself and Quinn the week prior. _Keep your big Jewish nose out of mine and Finn's relationship! _Rachel winced at the words as she glanced at the skeletal image of herself on the light box.

"What does your girlfriend look like?"

* * *

"Oh my God, you're getting a nose job," Quinn gasped as the short brunette stood in front of her with a bandage over her nasal bridge.

"I'm considering having a minor procedure to repair my deviated septum."

"So, a nose job," Santana repeated flatly.

"Look, I'm happy with the way that I look ok, and I've embraced my nose. But, let's say I wanted to have a slightly more demure nose like...Quinn's for example. I would never change my appearance for vanity but the doctor said that it could possibly improve my talent which would help us all for nationals!" The tiny diva explained as she stood before the piano in the choir room. The room erupted with loud disapproving 'no's and some shouts of anger from the majority of the glee club.

"Possibly. What about the risks? Your voice is amazing as is Rachel," Mr Shue asked worriedly.

"Hold up, can we all just get real here for a second?" Santana interjected. "I hear that Rachel has got a bit of a schnoz. I mean, I wouldn't know because like Medusa I try to avoid eye contact with her. But can we all just stop lying about how there aren't things that we wouldn't change about ourselves? Look, maybe Rachel is fine with having an enormous beak. Maybe she needs it to crack hard seeds. All I'm saying is that, if you look in the mirror and don't like what you see, you should change it," Santana explained as once again, judgmental eyes cast daggers at her. She had had surgery herself that summer and didn't regret it one bit. It in fact gave her more confidence and boosted her self-esteem – why shouldn't Rachel feel the same way if her nose was bothering her?

Quinn rolled her eyes and furrowed her brow into a frown. She sat there lost for words. She didn't want Rachel to get a nose job. And the fact that she wanted _her_ nose just made it worse. Rachel's nose was fine. It made Rachel, Rachel.

She knew Santana meant well, but she wasn't helping the situation at all. The Latina's mind set had been the same one Quinn had had when she was in middle school, and although changing her appearance had made her feel more confident, it did nothing for her overall self-concept.

"Rachel this goes against everything the glee club stands for!" Mercedes yelled emphatically. She and Rachel had just started getting along and now she knew she had to stand up for her friend.

"I'm telling you, the thing you most want to change about yourself, is the most interesting part of you," Mr Shue encouraged, hoping to change the small singer's mind.

Puck simply shook his head and explained that changing her nose would make it easier to make out with her without getting constantly stabbed in the eye, but that she wouldn't be as hot.

Finn just sat next to Quinn in the front row and shook his head before mustering up enough courage to speak out. "Rachel, please don't do this," he pleaded before glancing to his girlfriend and hesitating slightly before adding, "You're beautiful." The tall boy slumped in his seat and cursed himself as he thought about how it was entirely his fault. If he hadn't been such a terribly bad dancer, he wouldn't have broken her nose the day before in booty camp, and she wouldn't be having this conversation with them!

"This isn't a discussion. I've made up my mind. Rachel berry is getting a nose job."

* * *

"This is the only club at school that is represented by just about every race, religion, sexual orientation and clique, but many of you are still having a hard time with acceptance."

"That's crazy Mr Shue, we love each other," Mercedes replied smiling at Rachel and the rest of the club.

"Now I won't deny that you accept each other, but you don't accept yourselves."

Rachel and Quinn both took interest in their shoes as the message that their teachers were trying to get across him home. After Ms Pillsbury and Mr Shue announced this week's assignment of acceptance and himself and the rest of the club left, Brittany grabbed two plain white t-shirts and used the letter press. Looking at her work she proudly put her one on and folded the second one she made for Santana in her bag. Santana would love it!

Later that day Brittany bounced gleefully down the corridor to Santana's locker where the brunette was putting her books away.

"Hey, do you like my shirt for Glee club?" Brittany asked excitedly as she opened her jacket to reveal a white t-shirt with I'M WITH STOOPID written on it and an arrow pointing up toward her head.

"That's perfect," Santana laughed. "Check out mine," she said, opening her own jacket to reveal the word BITCH written in big bold black letters across her chest.

Brittany looked disappointed and placed her hands on her hips.

"What?" Santana asked noticing the lack of enthusiasm from the normally bubbly blonde. "This is perfect. Legend has it that when I came out of my mother I told the nurse she was fat."

"Well, I made a different one for you," Brittany replied holding up a shirt with the word LEBANESE written on it.

"I'm Hispanic...Wait, was that supposed to be lesbian?"

"Yeah, isn't that what it says? When you told me all that stuff the other day it meant so much to me – to see you be so honest. Especially because I know how bad it hurt. I was so proud of you."

"Yeah well don't get used to it and certainly don't think about telling anyone."

"Why not? You're like the most awesomest girl at this school. Why would you try to hide any of that?"

"You don't get a say in anything that I do anymore."

"Why, because I'm dating somebody? Because you're Lebanese and I think I'm bi-curious?"

"No! Because I said I love you. You didn't say you love me back."

"I do love you. Clearly you don't love you as much as I do or you would put the shirt on and dance with me!" Brittany snapped before storming away leaving Santana standing alone with the Lebanese shirt in her hand.

* * *

Standing in the hallway of WMHS, Santana took out her sharpie and began defacing Quinn and Finn's prom campaign posters._ I should be prom queen._ _If I were prom queen I could get Brittany to drop the four-eyed loser and go for the real queen. She's so gullible I could convince her that by royal decree I'd made her being with me the law of the land. That's never gonna happen. I don't have the votes. _Looking around the halls she noticed all the football jocks walking through to the gymnasium. _Unless...I can get the jock block._ She considered Sam but he didn't have the heat at the school. When Karofsky passed she stared intently as the idea of taking him came to mind but then she quickly gagged at the thought. He _would_ get her the votes she needed but the guy was a complete tool and she didn't like the idea of being his date to prom and having him step on her with his over-sized ogre feet throughout the entire night and during their king and queen dance.

As the football team disappeared around the corner, she noticed Quinn and Finn approaching the drink tap. As Quinn bent to reach the small spout of water, Finn still jabbering on about something beside her, something else caught Santana's attention. At the end of the corridor a flash of brown hair flipped into view as Rachel carried her lunch in a small pink lunch box and walked in her direction. Santana's gaze was drawn to her bruised nose and remained focused there until the small girl turned her head slightly to the left in the direction of the drinking fountain, her gaze lingering on the distracted blonde a little too long.

The Latina followed her line of sight and her breath hitched at the realisation of what she had just witnessed. Rachel Berry was checking out Quinn Fabray's ass. Santana's eyes widened and her mouth gaped in disbelief. She wasn't looking at Finn. She couldn't have been because he was standing too far to the left of the taps.

_Holy crap! I'm a closet lesbian and a judgmental bitch which means one thing – I have awesome gaydar._

* * *

Santana couldn't stand it any longer. She had to know if what she saw earlier was real. She knew she didn't imagine it but, God, she couldn't believe it! As another Glee session came to a close she hung back until only her and Rachel were alone in the room and watched as Rachel packed away her sheet music and gathered her books.

Straightening up with books in hand, Rachel spun around only to be met face to face by Santana who was standing less than a couple of inches from her.

The shorter brunette jumped back in shock before eyeing the Latina suspiciously.

"Can I help you Santana?"

"I don't know, can you?" Santana purred suggestively. "I saw you in the hallway at lunch."

Rachel's face displayed only confusion. _Why was that unusual? She always walked the same way through the hallways toward the auditorium at lunch. _

"I don't know what you're talking-"

"Oh give it up Berry – I know!"

Rachel scrunched up her eyebrows, her confusion growing as with every second the Latina's satisfied smirk grew larger. She didn't know what she was on about.

"Wow, you really don't know do you?" Santana gasped, raising a hand to her mouth to contain her surprise.

Rachel just shook her head slowly as the taller brunette burst out laughing.

"Will you meet me after school for a coffee? There's something I need to tell you but I want to be in a public place so you don't bite my head off," Santana finally said after wiping the tears of joy she had sprung from laughing so hard off of her cheeks.

"Uh I can't today because I'm going to the doctor's after school with Quinn."

Santana smiled at this before asking again.

"Tomorrow then?"

"...sure I-I guess..."

"Awesome! See you at the Lima Bean tomorrow at five Pinocchio!"

* * *

In the waiting room of the surgeon's office, Rachel and Quinn sat in silence on the soft suede couch with the latter reading a fashion magazine and crossing her legs while Rachel shifted nervously in her seat.

"Thanks for doing this," Rachel said quietly to break the silence between them.

"No problem. I can totally count on your vote right?" Quinn smiled encouragingly back.

"Yeah, totally. I was going to vote for you anyway," Rachel paused before turning to look at Quinn and gathering her courage. _Gosh she's gorgeous. No wonder Finn loves her._

"So what's it like...looking like you look?"

Quinn closed her eyes and took a deep breath before closing her magazine, placing it on the modern table top and releasing a loud sigh.

"I pretty much have a warped sense of the world," Quinn explained, opening her eyes and turning to meet Rachel's vulnerable gaze.

"Being considered a hot 17 year old, I can get away with or do anything I want, so I kind of always assume that people are always nice and accommodating. But...It isn't what you would think Rachel. I...I get treated differently because of how I look. I mean, it isn't a bad thing but sometimes I just feel like nobody likes me for me, only for my appearance, you know?"

Quinn turned her gaze back toward the glass coffee table where her magazine lay, displaying pictures of photo shopped celebrities and exhaled slowly before continuing.  
"Look Rachel, I haven't always looked like this."

Quinn felt her eyes start to water but she knew that she had to be honest and earnest. She couldn't keep this secret bottled up inside her anymore. She needed to talk to someone about it – about _her_. She turned her head up to the ceiling and blinked the threatening tears away.

"I'm nothing like you Quinn," Rachel started softly. "I mean just look at me! My nose is huge, my body is nothing like yours and I have a very difficult personality for some people to get along with. I constantly say the wrong things and offend people when I try to be honest and sincere. I can be overbearing, stubborn and possessive of things I want or think I deserve and not until recently I had no true friends! And in regards to making friends, I have little to no success in that department either. Nobody likes me! I found that the only way I got any attention or respect was if I got a lead in Glee! Nobody likes me Quinn, let alone thinks I'm attracti-"  
The diva's rant was cut short as Quinn quickly raised her index and middle finger gently to the brunette's lips to silence her.

"That isn't true and you know it isn't." Rachel opened her mouth in protest before Quinn pressed down harder with her finger, cutting her off again. "Look, I know life has been hard for you. People have treated you differently, likening you to a drag queen and saying you dress like a blind Sunday school teacher...let's be honest, that person was mainly me. But, what you need to know Rachel is that, I admire you. You had the strength to do what I couldn't."

Taking a steadying breath, Quinn closed her eyes as she debated whether or not she should be completely honest with the girl beside her. Sighing slowly, she decided that in order to help Rachel, she needed to divulge her secret and trust her with it, so that Rachel could trust her in return. "I was bullied in middle school," Quinn revealed in a small voice as Rachel listened intently with a surprise. "I looked nothing like I do now. I dyed my hair brown, had braces, was slightly overweight and had a nose larger than all of the popular girls. They called me names and drove me to hate myself and who I was, simply because I was different. It got to the point where I... I've never told anyone this before but...I got a nose job and changed my name."

Rachel gasped as she felt Quinn's fingers slowly drag down her lips and then fall back into the space between them. "You...you changed your name?"

"Yes. Quinn isn't my real name; it's my middle name...My real name is Lucy..." She couldn't hold them back any longer. The rush of hot salty droplets cascaded down her cheeks. Quinn shook her head and felt how rough and dry her throat was as the next few words left her mouth.

"Lucy Caboosey," Quinn croaked out through choked sobs as she struggled with the words. "That's the nickname they gave me. I hated it, so I changed it. But deep down, I know I'll always be that same insecure and frightened little girl, no matter how I change my features. I know I can never change who I am. So, when I moved schools, I lost weight, joined the cheer leading squad and became the person I thought I wanted to be. I put on this HBIC mask and never looked back."

Rachel's eyes never left Quinn's and she didn't dare interrupt the girl. Listening to the normally so self-assured and confident girl break down before her made her heart weep with empathy. She knew exactly what she was going through. The idea that Quinn acted toward Rachel the way that she had been acted toward in her childhood made everything so much more clear. Quinn had been trying so hard to feel accepted that she adopted the characteristics of her own bullies in order to reflect the expected image that being popular held. She didn't acting like a bitch out of hatred, but out of experience, merely reflecting how others acted toward her. This was the first time Rachel ever saw Quinn – the _real _Quinn, or Lucy as it were – and she didn't dare make a sound or even move, fearing that any change might scare her off and cause her to slip back into her Queen Bee facade that she wore so well. Her heart swelled with an emotion she didn't quite recognise.

Quinn looked up and noticed the understanding in Rachel's glistening browns and gave a small genuine smile that just barely reached her own eyes. "You on the other hand have this amazing unwavering determination to brush it all aside and persevere through it all, never letting anyone change you or your opinion of yourself, no matter how much they try to...Until now. Why Rachel? Was it me?" Quinn buried her face in her hands, trying to mask the pain in her now hoarse voice as she spoke. "Did I drive you to do this like the girls at my old school did to me? Did I push _too_ hard?"

Rachel gently tugged at Quinn's hands and clasped them in one of her own before wiping the blonde's stray tears away with her free thumb.

"It wasn't you," Rachel stated, shaking her head vehemently before shining hazel eyes finally lifted back up to be met by her soft brown ones. She felt the tears well up in her own eyes at the thought of the amount of self-loathing that would push someone to despise themselves to that extent. She didn't want to cry. Not now, not here, and not in front of Quinn. In that moment she had to be strong for her. For them both. Before Rachel could say a word, Quinn's soft husky voice filled the emptiness of the room once more, only this time it was much stronger and serious as she grasped Rachel's hands tighter and locked eyes with her determinedly.

"Please Rachel, don't do this. I know Finn said this to you earlier in Glee but from what I just heard, you obviously didn't listen. You are beautiful; not only on the outside but on the inside. Your ability to forgive others, no matter the seriousness of their past transgressions, or the pain they've caused you. You see the best in them and that is something I've always been in awe of. Your ability to love and forgive others wholeheartedly. Y-You never give up on them. You never gave up on me... After everything I put you through you still forgave me and accepted me, and that's why I...I..."  
The blonde trailed off and bit her bottom lip to stop herself saying something she knew she would regret. She dropped eye contact and stared at a spot on the waiting room floor.

Rachel just sat there, dumbfounded at the kind words that Quinn had just said to her. She hesitated before going with her heart and reaching out to touch the other girl's chin, tilting it up so that their eyes met again. "Why you what?" she prompted softly.

The blonde turned her head and closed her eyes, refusing to meet the chocolate ones trained on her. "Rachel...I..."

"Yes?"

At that moment a tall man in a white coat and wire rimmed glasses entered the small waiting room and approached them. "Ok so, Miss Berry, are we ready to pull the trigger?"

_Damn it! Couldn't he have waited another few seconds!?_ Rachel cursed to herself before facing him and then looking back at Quinn with a sombre expression in her eyes. The blonde sighed and stood up to meet the doctor's height.

"Rachel if this is really what you want then I will support you."

Still seated on the couch, Rachel looked down in her lap and picked at an invisible lint on her skirt.  
After a few moments she also stood and then nodded in answer. "I...I was kind of hoping that I could get an idea of what I would look like after the procedure. Um, this is my...friend, Quinn." Saying those words gave her an overwhelmingly warm sensation inside her chest which she chose to ignore for the time being. Quinn felt it too but didn't say a word and just returned the smile Rachel offered her.

"Nice nose. Very nice" The doctor acknowledged impressed.

The blonde released a half-hearted chuckle. "Thank you. Rachel wants it." Rachel smiled at the other girl as Quinn gave her a reassuring touch on her right arm and gave a small nod. The surgeon looked between the two girls and nodded understandingly.

"No problem. I'll click some pics, make up some photo composites and we'll be ready to rock and roll," he said as he led them into his consultation room to get measurements and pictures taken for the composition shots. Throughout the process neither girl spoke to the other. After they were finished they entered Quinn's car and drove to Rachel's house. The drive was sullenly silent with neither girl wanting to be the one to break it. Rachel toyed with the hem of her skirt whilst Quinn remained focused on the road ahead.

"Did you really mean it?" Rachel asked doubtfully without looking up.

"Mean what Rach?"

The endearing nickname sent butterflies fluttering throughout Rachel's stomach and gave her some confidence in her elaboration. "Everything you said back there. That...I'm beautiful just the way I am."

As they stopped at a red light, Quinn turned to her right to face Rachel's insecure gaze. "You know I did."

"Honestly Quinn, I don't know what to believe anymore," the brunette said as she played with the pleats in her skirt.

Quinn frowned as she turned on her indicator and pulled up into park on the shoulder of the road.

"Listen Rachel, today I showed you a side of me that only my parents, sister and close family have ever seen. A part of me that I've been ashamed and terrified of exposing to anyone ever again. I know our past history has been rocky and I know that everything between us still is sometimes but, you need to know that for me to have told you about...me, was really hard."

"Do you regret it?"

Unbuckling her seat belt, Quinn twisted around fully to look sharply at Rachel as she met her gaze. "No, I don't. And please know that I meant every word, just as I do now."

Rachel leaned her head back against the cushioned headrest of her seat as she closed her eyes. "Would you be disappointed if I did get your nose?"

"Well, it isn't really_ my _nose it it?" Quinn laughed placing a hand on Rachel's forearm.

Rachel's eyes opened and instantly locked with Quinn's as a smile emerged on her lips. "I really wish I could have gone to Fairbrook Primary and met Lucy much earlier. I think I would have liked her and would have loved to be her friend."

Quinn blushed as she buckled her belt again and started the ignition, pulling the car back onto the road. "Me too."

* * *

Pulling up to the Berry house again, Quinn noticed the absence of cars in the driveway.

"Are your dads home?" She asked with concern in her voice and a worried expression.

Rachel shrugged as she explained, "Daddy is at his book club tonight and Dad is working a late shift at the ER."

Opening the car's door, Rachel stepped out and then turned with the door's frame in hand to face Quinn, who was tracing the bumps on the steering wheel with her fingertips.

"Thank you, Quinn. For everything."

Quinn turned to face Rachel and only gave a small polite smile before wishing her a goodnight and turning to look at the road ahead of her. With that, Rachel sighed heavily and slowly closed the car door behind her. Walking up to her porch steps she turned her key into the door and opened it, turning the lights on and making sure all was right in her house. Looking out the front window she noticed that Quinn's red modern Volkswagen beetle still parked outside. Pulling out her phone she scrolled through her contacts and hastily dialed the blonde's number. The phone rang only once before she heard the sound of fumbling and then a panicked, "H-hello? Is everything ok in there?"

"Yes, everything is fine. Is there something wrong with your car?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"Well...you haven't driven off yet..."

A soft laugh came through Quinn's side of the line before she replied in a much quieter voice.  
"Oh right...I uh...I just wanted to make sure you were ok and that you got in safe...you know, with your Dads not around and you being home alone and all..."

Rachel giggled and grinned sheepishly through the phone.  
"Oh, well I think you'll be happy to know that there are no burglars or immediate threats present at the current moment. I'll stay on full alert and sleep with a baseball bat next to me just in case. Thank you for your concern though - It was very thoughtful and sweet to know that you would have come in and warned off any intruders."

A giggle was returned from the other end of the call. "You're too much sometimes you know that?"

Rachel's smile grew wider. "Remember when we used to hate each other?"

A brief pause of silence was heard on the other end before Quinn's now soft serene voice flowed sincerely through the line. "No, I can't, because I never did Rachel."

Rachel shook her head but the smile on her face didn't fade, only spreading further across it. "Me neither Quinn."

She thanked Quinn again for all her help and told her to text her when she got home safely. She heard the dial tone drop and watched as the car reversed out of her driveway and drove away.

* * *

**Quinn Fabray: Home safe. Stop stressing out before you pace a hole in the floor.**

One thing Rachel loved about texting Quinn was that she never abbreviated her words. She was always so eloquent and articulate and had excellent spelling and grammar. Suffice to say, It was a much more enjoyable conversation than the ones she had struggled to comprehend when she texted Brittany or Finn.

**Rachel Berry: Well you took your time to respond! How could I not worry? It's only a 10 minute drive at most from my house to yours.**

**Quinn Fabray: And I replied in just over 12 minutes so calm down.**

**Rachel Berry: I resent that. You know punctuality is one of my most valued virtues.**

**Quinn Fabray: Yes I know little miss '10-minutes-early-to-every-class'.**

**Rachel Berry: Har har. Thanks again for today. You really helped me get a better perspective on things.**

**Quinn Fabray: No problem Berry. Anytime.**

**Rachel Berry: Back to a second name basis again? :(**

**Quinn Fabray: Well, I could always go back to Stubbles...**

**Rachel Berry: Berry is fine.**

**Quinn Fabray: Oh come on RuPaul! You're no fun.**

**Rachel Berry: Hey! Not cool Quinn. Goodnight.**

**Quinn Fabray: No Rachel wait! I'm just teasing! Please don't go!**

**Rachel Berry: Well that was easy ;) You aren't as tough as everyone thinks you are huh?**

**Quinn Fabray: No comment.**

**Rachel Berry: I was wondering...Would like to sing a duet with me? I was sorting through my sheet music earlier and found the perfect song to suit both of our pitches and it fits this week's topic pretty well...**

**Quinn Fabray: Umm Sure. Hand me the sheet music and we can rehearse before Glee?**

**Rachel Berry: Sounds like a plan :)**

As Rachel hit send on her final reply she couldn't help but contemplate the day's events as she went through her nightly hygiene ritual. Quinn had driven her to the surgeons office and, even after expressing her concerns and asking her to not go through with it, she still respected Rachel's wishes and had photos and measurements taken of her own nose for her. And then she had waited outside her house to ensure that Rachel was safe inside before she even thought about driving off. At this thought Rachel couldn't help the blush that filled her cheeks or the smile that had consumed her face as she got into bed. She was her friend again – for real this time – she hoped.

* * *

Rachel arrived at the Lima Bean five minutes early and settled down in a seat with a cup of organic herbal tea in her hands. She had prepared herself for the worst. _She said we had to be in a public place so I didn't react too poorly. What is she going to tell me? _

Her mind milled over hundreds of different possibilities, with each one sounding just as crazy as the last. _Oh my God, did she kill someone and needs my help to hide the body under my front porch?_

As soon as her wrist watch struck five Santana sped through the door, ordered herself a mocha latte and then practically skipped to the table before sitting opposite Rachel.

Rachel nervously tapped her fingers against the sides of her cup as she saw Santana smirking at her.

"So..."

"So..." Santana repeated flashing a cheeky grin as she sipped the froth on her latte, leaving a small moustache on her upper lip.

Rachel giggled at the sight and licked her own upper lip in signal for the other girl to mimic the action. After she did, Santana rolled her eyes but conceded a chuckle.

"What did you want to tell me?" Rachel asked, not really knowing if she wanted the answer.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Now slightly frustrated, Rachel took a final sip of her tea before making a move to stand up from her seat and move away from the stubborn Latina.

"Wait! Rachel stop, ok! I'll tell you."

At hearing her real name from the other brunette, she relaxed slightly and sank back down into her chair.

"Rachel I'm going to tell you something but you have to promise me you won't freak out ok?" Santana waited until Rachel nodded in response. "Rachel Berry, you're gay."

Rachel sat still and shook her head in confusion at the words that had just left the Latina's mouth.

"W-What? No I'm not!" Rachel hissed above hum of the crowd. "Gosh! Just because I love Broadway, musicals, and have am the only child with two gay parents in Lima, maybe even all of Ohio, doesn't make me-"

"Woah, woah, calm down cowgirl!" Santana cut in before Rachel could begin her tirade on her. _She doesn't even realise. How do you get someone to admit that they're gay when they don't even know? Ay Dios mio why do I have to be the one to do this!?_

Slowly and cautiously, Santana took a deep breath before continuing.

"Rachel, yesterday at lunch I saw you walking down the main corridor and...just as you passed the drink fountain...you...you looked at Quinn's ass."

Rachel sat there frozen, her body still in the same position but her face releasing all the anger and instead replacing it with shock.

"W-what? N-no I didn't! I was...I was looking at Finn!" She stammered.

"Rachel, lesbihonest, Finn wasn't that close to Quinn at the time. I saw everything. You know, you _really_ need to be more careful with your leering."

Rachel shook her head vigorously as the memory flashed before her eyes. "I wasn't- I didn't- I'm not-!"

"Would you listen to yourself? You cant even say it because you know to deny it would be a lie. Admit it!"

Rachel gaped as Santana's words kept washing over her. She couldn't deny it. It was the truth. _It couldn't be true! Could it?_

"And in glee," Santana continued in an even tone, "you can't help but check her out every few minutes when you think nobody is paying attention, but my Mexican third eye sees all," she finished with a tap of her finger to the centre of her forehead.

When Rachel didn't reply Santana reached across the table with both her hands and took the diva's within them.

"Rachel, it's ok. I know it's a lot to process right now, but don't worry – you aren't alone..." Santana reassured her as her thumb rubbed small shapes over the back of Rachel's hand. Looking around the coffee shop anxiously, Santana took a deep lungful of air before hesitantly whispering beneath her breath, just loud enough so that only Rachel could hear. "We play for the same team."

Rachel looked up to see Santana's unusually soft and warm gaze. The same gaze that she had only ever seen her give Brittany and Quinn. She held it for a moment before closing her eyes and releasing a few tears.

"...Are...Are you..." The diva hesitated as her voice threatened to break.

"Yeah I am. Look, don't worry, I'm not ready to start eating jicama or get a flat top yet either...maybe in junior college."

"No, no...Are you...Are you going to tell Quinn?" Rachel said, her voice barely audible.

Santana sighed heavily before seeing the fear in the shorter girl's eyes. "Not if you don't want me to."

Rachel nodded and released a breath she didn't realise she had been holding.

"Thank you. But...Why did you do this? I mean, you could have just ignored it and let me-"

"Let you keep obsessing over that oaf Finsolence? Thinking you liked _him_? No, you had to know the truth because frankly, seeing anyone follow Finnocence around the way you did like a freaking lost puppy was nauseating – even more so because you didn't even feel that way about him. And also because... I need you, and you need me. I know Q feels something for you and you know that Britt and I love each other because whenever I get in a fight with her you're always there to help me out."

"Wait, WHAT?" Rachel spluttered as hey eyes sprung completely open to study the Latina and the honesty in her words. "Back up a little, what did you just say?"

"That I love Britt? I thought you knew..."

"No, everybody already knows that. Gosh, the whole school knows that. What did you say before that?"

Santana retraced her thoughts and flashed Rachel her signature cocky smirk, releasing her hands and folding her arms over her chest.

"I don't know, what did I say?"

"Don't play coy with me! Is it true? Please Santana, just tell me, is it or not?"

Santana lifted her chin up defiantly before chuckling lightly and nodding.

"Ever since she first saw you sing in front of the assembly on the first day of school freshman year she's been kinda obsessed with you. I would catch her in class and after Cheerios and Glee practices drawing sketches of you in her diary when she thought nobody was looking. At first I thought it was because she hated you because she drew you like a troll and Gollum's sick lovechild, but then..."

"Then what?" Rachel piped in, hardly able to contain her excitement.

"She surrounded the picture with love hearts. And when I say surrounded, I mean like, she drew over _20_ around you. I was confused at the time because, like, who the hell draws love hearts around someone they hate? But then later when she saw you giving Finnessa googly eyes, she instantly latched onto him and started dating him for the first time. She barely knew the guy! That's when I started to suspect that there was more in it for her than just the popularity boost. M'entiendes?"

"She was...she was jealous of Finn because I liked him?"

"She only wanted him because she didn't want him being with you – she wanted to be with you!"

Rachel's breath caught as the possibility of Quinn liking her. The mere idea of it - of Quinn reciprocating her feelings that she wasn't really aware of until now – made her feel elated.

"...And I only wanted to be with Finn so I could get closer to her..." As Rachel spoke these words everything started making sense. The constant fighting with Quinn and fawning over Finn. It was all just so she could get Quinn's attention. And then it dawned on her; the greatest and most shocking realisation she had ever had.

"Oh my God...I'm... in l-love with Q-Quinn Fabray?..._I'm_ in_ love_ with_ Quinn Fabray_!" Rachel repeated over and over to herself as she held her forehead in her hand and the other over her mouth. She enunciated the words over and over in her head as her brain tried to comprehend them.

"Yes, _finally_ you get it! Gracias a Dios!" Santana clapped as she picked up her cup and rose it up in a celebratory manner before skulling the rest of it down.

Silence sat with the two girls for a few long minutes before Rachel collected herself and looked back up to meet Santana's mischievous glace. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It just all makes so much sense now, I don't know how I didn't really see it earlier!" Santana revealed with a toothy smile. "You never wanted Quinn's nose on your face, you wanted _Quinn_ on your face!"

Rachel coughed loudly as she sputtered her admonishment, "Santana!"

"What? Shit, you know it's true. The constant name calling, those damn fine pictures in the bathrooms, the heated glares and intense stares - it was all just sexual tension! I bet Q even let everyone slushy you just so she could get a glimpse of you in a wet shirt-"

"Ok that's enough Santana!" Rachel chastised in a harsh whisper as she shrunk lower into her chair.

"Oh come on Tinkerbell, you know you love it. I can see you getting all hot and bothered under that horrid sweater."

Rachel stared at her with a look of pure indignation before Santana chuckled and smiled at her warmly.

"Alright, alright, fine, I'll lay off of Juno," Santana conceded with a huff. "For now."

Rachel humphed loudly before worrying her fingers together around her warm cup, playing with the paper heat-proof slip around it. "So...now what?"

"Well," Santana smirked as she set her now empty cup back on the table and wrapped her fingers around it too. "I was thinking I could help you out with Tubbers and you could help me get rid of Wheels. We both get our girls and live happily ever after – it's a win/win!"

"And how do we do that exactly?" Rachel replied skeptically.

"Well, I'll get closer to Quinn and drop hints whenever I can. Hopefully she'll have an epiphany or something and wake up to herself and her bottled up feelings because God _knows_ that that girl can brood. _You_ on the other hand, need to get closer to them both. Become their friend and then earn their trust enough for them to open up to you. It will be easy for Britt because she has always wanted to be your friend, but me and your MILF always told her to stay away from you."

"Don't call her that!" Rachel snapped, anger quickly filling her voice as she slammed down on the table top with the now dented in cup in her clenching hands, drawing some other customers' attention.

"Woah, calm down loca, I was only teasing," Santana apologised as she raised both her hands in the air. "But just so you know, you defending her and looking at me like that, all angry and defensive, it's kinda hot," she finished with a smirk as Rachel calmed down and relaxed again with a frustrated pout.

"I've tried getting close to Quinn. Every time I do she just pushes me away again. I never know where I stand with her. The other day she said she was my friend, only to lie to me about her and Finn. She was using me. And then yesterday she broke down in front of me and said that she was my friend again. I just don't know where I stand with her most of the time."

"She's scared of getting too close because that bastard of a father of hers had raised her to reject the way she is feeling about you because of your gender. She can't accept you until she accepts herself. Once she does, she'll stop denying her feelings and she'll stop pushing."

"Even if I do get close enough to her and she lets her guard down completely, how do I ask her?"

"With your lips."

"Well obviously! Speech cannot be properly expressed any other way. I mean, what do I say-"

Santana's finger firmly pressed down on Rachel's mouth, stopping her mid-sentence. "With your lips," she repeated with a lascivious wink.

Santana retracted her finger as Rachel nodded in understanding. "And Brittany? What do I say to her? Santana I can't hurt Artie..."

"You won't. All you have to do is get her to see how badly he treats her and how much I love her."

"Shouldn't you show her that yourself?"

Santana eased backwards in her seat and stretched her arms out over and behind her head as that confident smirk reappeared on her face. "Oh don't worry, I plan to."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Sorry for the slight delay with this chapter. I have been quite busy with work and family. This chapter involves quite a bit of canon but don't worry, as the story progresses toward the AU, there will be less and less canon scenes.

Please don't forget to let me know what you think by reviewing! Reading your opinions gives me the motivation to keep writing!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Born This Way Cont...**

"What you're doing is terrible. Why did you go to the surgeon's with Rachel?" Finn questioned accusingly as he and Quinn stood at their lockers, preparing their books for their study periods.

"I have a nice nose. Rachel asked me for help, and I'm giving it to her. And once again, we are fighting about Rachel. _I'm_ your girlfriend," Quinn rebutted as her boyfriend dodged her wary gaze and continued collecting his notes.

"Look, this isn't about who's my girlfriend. Mr. Shue is trying to get us to accept ourselves for who we are, and you're helping Rachel do the exact opposite. That's not cool."

"Yeah, well, I tried talking to her. I told her a story that I thought would convince her not to, but she still hasn't decided yet. Listen Finn, I don't want her to either ok?"

Finn raised his eyebrows in surprise at this but continued his argument.

"You still shouldn't have gone."

"She asked me for my help and I wanted to support her. If I can help Rachel feel better about herself then I will."

"But...isn't that like, the opposite to what you always do?" his hesitance at asking this honestly ringing through.

"Let's just say I know what it's like to hate how you look and let's leave it at that ok?" Quinn finished as she shut her locker with one swift fling and paced away from the tall confused and uninformed boy. _He doesn't understand..._

Leaving Finn behind, Quinn strolled through the halls towards the library when something caught her eye. Lauren stood at the bulletin in the main hall with a poster of herself with 'ZIZES for Prom Queen' written on it in her hands. Looking around Quinn saw them pasted all around the corridor and she rushed over to the girl in panic.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, hey! I'm running for prom queen," Lauren smiled as she pointed to her poster proudly.

"As a joke, right?" Quinn's sarcasm clearly present in her tone.

Lauren's enthusiasm faded and her expression changed as she pursed her lips and creased her brow. "Does it look like I'm joking?"

"Well, when your name appears on that ballot, the whole school's going to think it's a laugh riot, and you may just get enough votes to win."

"That's sort of the idea..."

"And as everybody snickers as they try to squeeze that tiara onto your head, somebody's going to spill pig's blood on you, or something like that, and you'll become more of an outcast than you already are!"

Lauren looked uneasily at the beautiful blonde before her. Quinn's words lacked their usual bite and she sounded like she was talking from truth and experience rather than using a fear tactic._ Is she actually worried about me or is she just afraid of losing her precious crown to someone that doesn't scream perfection? No, no she's Quinn Fabray, former Queen Bitch. All she cares about is winning._

Lauren straightened her posture and returned to her aggressive stance.

"Okay. I don't know exactly what your problem is, but you best bring it, Fabray. Because I'm hot as hell, I keep it real, and the people at this school want a prom queen who's like them."

"No, they want a prom queen who's somebody they'd like to be!"

"Look. Not everybody can be born pretty like you. But just so you know, who you are inside and who you pretend to be to the rest of the world—They're two different people."

Quinn's breath caught in her throat as the taller girl spoke those words. _Who you are inside and who you pretend to be to the rest of the world—They're two different people. _Quinn squeezed her eyes tight and tried to control the build up of raw emotion that was bringing itself to surface inside of her. The words were so true. She was two different people. The pretty, popular and perfect Quinn Fabray, and the rejected, ugly outcast Lucy Caboosey. As tears began to form, Quinn quickly opened her eyes to face Lauren.

"You don't know anything about me, Lauren. Anything!"

And with that Quinn turned her back and raced away towards the girl's bathroom. Lauren stared interestedly after her.

_That reaction was weird... She's hiding something...If I find out what it is, I could use it against her and be prom queen! _

Lauren finished pinning up her campaign poster and pulled out her phone before she dialled the number of the school's other badass.

"Go for The Puckmeister."

"It's Zizes."

"Yo, what up Big Momma? Wanna come out and help me snatch some pity booze by looking sad in front of the 7-11?"

"Maybe later. I need you to help me dig some dirt on Fabray to help me knock her out of the running for Prom Queen."

Puck hesitated slightly at the thought of hurting his ex and the mother of his child. _She's been through a lot in the past year, but, then again, she is back to her normal bitchy, self righteous self. She probably doesn't even have anything to hide. She's always been so God damn flawless, well, until I got her knocked up..._

"I'm in."

* * *

Walking through the hallway, Quinn avoided eye contact as she passed Lauren before the large brunette's voice called from behind her.

"Hey, Lucy," the larger girl drawled out gratingly.

Quinn stopped dead in her tracks and slowly turned around.

"What did you just call me?" she asked, her voice laced with terror.

"Well, that certainly got your attention. Can we speak privately?"

Gulping roughly, Quinn followed Lauren into an empty classroom and closed the door behind them.

"Well, you may want to have a seat," Lauren said with a smirk as she leaned against the teacher's desk and folded her arms across her chest smugly.

Looking at the devilish look on Lauren's face, Quinn complied and remained silent as the girl continued.

"My dad's college roommate was G. Gordon Liddy…and he taught my pop a valuable lesson. He said the key to any campaign is digging up dirt on your opponent, so I did a little digging. You moved to Lima after eighth grade, right?"

"I transferred from Fairbrook. That's not a secret."

"Well, you must have had a pretty lousy attendance record because I called Fairbrook Middle School and they didn't have a record of anyone named Fabray, which makes sense, as you actually lived in an unincorporated part of Fairbrook Township, which would have meant you would have gone to Belleville Middle School, not Fairbrook. So I took a little field trip."

"You didn't!" Quinn gasped fearfully, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I did. And you know what? They didn't have a record of anyone named Quinn Fabray, either. They did, however, have someone named Lucy Fabray—Lucy Q. Fabray, to be exact, and she looked like this. You can kind of see the resemblance if you look past the nose job and subtract, eh, 70 pounds..."

"Stop, okay? That's me," Quinn admitted as she looked at the haunting school photo of herself. Her voice softened as she spoke just beyond a whisper, "my middle name is Quinn. I stopped going by Lucy because kids made up a mean nickname."

"Juicy Lucy?"

"Lucy Caboosey. I hated the way I looked," the blonde heard the same vulnerability in her voice as she had the day she had told Rachel. She couldn't lie anymore – not to others or to herself. Her past had always followed her around but now, it had finally caught up.

As she explained herself, her voice cracked and with that, so too did her icy resolve.

"I had zits. I was chubby. I felt terrible about myself. I didn't have friends. Nobody would talk to me. I was the only kid at school who had to dissect their own frog because nobody would be my lab partner. And then I joined ballet, lost a little bit of weight, found out I was athletic, joined gymnastics, then cheer leading. Went on Proactiv for my acne. And when my dad got transferred and got a raise, I asked him if I could get a nose job. And he said yes. Then I asked them to call me Quinn."

Lauren's posture softened and she calmed her aggressive stance at seeing the normally so harsh and judgmental blonde on the verge of tears. She had looked just like Lauren. She was chubby, wore glasses, had brown hair. The one thing that she didn't have was confidence or self respect – Lauren on the other hand had that in spades. Quinn, or Lucy, had been so ashamed of herself and how she looked that she completely changed who she was. _If we were so similar, does that mean she hates me? _"So you hate yourself" Lauren more of stated than asked.

"No, I love myself. And that's why I did all those things. I've been that girl, and I'm never going back. I was a miserable little girl. And now I'm going to be prom queen."

"Yeah. See, I wouldn't be so sure about that. You think everyone's going to vote for you because they want to be like you. Well, I don't know if they're going to want to be like you when they find out that you're a _complete fraud_."

"What are you going to do?"

"If I were you, I'd check the bulletin boards."

Lunging out of her chair, Quinn sprinted out of the classroom and down the halls before seeing a crowd gathering around and laughing at something. Pushing through them, she came face to face with her former self. Lauren had stuck her old middle school picture on the bulletin board. Shaking her head as hot tears streaked down her face, she grabbed the poster in her hands and ripped it down before running away and never looking back.

* * *

Looking into the mirror Rachel cringed at her reflection. Her battered and bruised nose was a dark purple and her eyes had black circles under them from all the crying that kept her up last night. Yesterday Santana had turned her world upside down. Everything she thought she knew about herself was questioned and her feelings for Finn and Quinn were muddled up and confused.

She looked terrible and she felt it.

Raising her hand, she slowly peeled off the small bandage on the bridge of her nose and inspected her injury further before the girl's bathroom door swung open and Puck strolled in to be met with shocked looks from the other girls in the bathroom who scurried out soon after.

"You can't be in here Noah!" Rachel yelled in shock as she saw the boy behind her in the mirror.

"It's cool, I checked through the peep hole I drilled last year to make sure no one was going."

Rachel ignored the disturbing comment and reminded herself to use the other girl's bathroom from now on. Noticing the last girl leave the room, she turned to face the mohawked boy.

"What can I help you with today?"

"I just want to talk to you, one hot Jew to another."

"Oh, God. Look, it's my nose, ok? I am tired of the lectures!"

"Hear me out! Why are you getting Quinn's nose?" Rachel broke eye contact and avoided Puck's at all costs. "If you want to breathe better, why don't you have him give you Karl Malden's nose? Your nose has been passed down from generation to generation as a birthright. It's a sign of the survival of our people."

"This has nothing to do with our religion," Rachel stated firmly as she crossed her arms in front of her.

Puck sighed sadly as he looked into the face of the small Jewish girl. He could see past the confident front she put on to see the real self doubt behind her eyes. He knew the look because he had seen it in Quinn after Lauren's confrontation earlier that week. He didn't think that the truth would hurt the blonde that much. She had always seemed so strong, as did Rachel, but he now knew that they were both putting on an act to hide their weakness from the world around them and possibly from themselves.

_No. I need to make this right. I can't let Rachel put herself through what Quinn did. She is hot, well, duh, I wouldn't have made out with her otherwise. She has to see that._

"I need one hour of your time. Just one hour. Give me that, and I'll never bug you again."

Sighing softly, Rachel reluctantly accepted and later that day Puck escorted her to the local Lima shopping mall.

"Why did you bring me here? Is there a sale at Claire's?" Rachel questioned as Puck led her to the centre of the mall with a sly smile on his face.

"I brought you here to knock some sense into you. You won't listen to me, you won't listen to Finn..."

At that moment Kurt walked up to them and broke in.

"But you will listen to Barbra Streisand. Thanks, Puck. I'll take it from here. Nice effort. But only I can lead this Barbravention."

"Is she here?!" Rachel blurted out as her pulse raced at the idea of seeing her in person.

"No. This is a mall in Ohio. Look, Rachel, here's the deal. Do you want to disappoint her?"

"Who?"

"Barbra"

"Of course not, Kurt. She's my idol!"

"Okay, if you get a nose job, then you will be spitting on her legacy. Barbra refused to believe that beauty could only be defined by the blonde, chiselled faces of Hitchcock's beauties, so she redefined what beauty was and became the biggest female star in the world."

"But what if I can't be like her? Isn't she one in a billion?"

"So are you, Rachel. And if you let one misguided societal pressure make you change the way you look, then you won't just be letting Barbra down, you'll be letting down all the little girls who are going to look at your beautiful face one day and see themselves. You'll be taking away their inspiration, too. I thought you'd be hesitant, which is why I brought you here. Perhaps, if my words don't inspire you, song will. Go" Kurt finished as he signalled to Puck.

At that moment Duck Sauce's song 'Barbra Streisand' burst from the stereo speakers around the mall and Kurt started moving his shoulders to the rhythm of the beat.

"What are you doing?!" Rachel squealed in amusement as a dancer front flipped before them. Kurt grabbed Rachel's hand and walked her to the escalator where a crowd of strangers joined them. Suddenly a flash mob of strangers and Kurt, Puck, Santana, Lauren, Sam, Tina, Mike, Artie, Brittany and Finn broke out in dance in the middle of the mall and Rachel laughed in shock as they all surrounded her and pointed before joining them in the dance.

_They organised a flash mob for me! And all because they like me for me and don't want me to change! This is insane!_ She felt so loved in that moment but after looking over her team mates she noticed that there was one noticeable absent member - The one person she actually wanted to dance with. Where was Quinn?

* * *

Putting her books away, Quinn couldn't help but notice everyone's eyes on her. Silent whispers, hidden glances and the obnoxious pointing of fingers where all being directed at her as she stood alone at her locker. Only yesterday she been feared and respected by all until the whole school discovered her deepest, darkest secret. Now, instead of avoiding her in the halls, the student body's eyes seemed to follow her everywhere.

"Hey," Finn said casually as he leaned up against the row of lockers.

"Well, it's over," Quinn responded with an empty smile.

"What?"

"My campaign. I'll never get elected prom queen now."

"Can I show you something?" Finn asked as he pulled out his wallet and took out a small picture in his hand. As Quinn's eyes followed his fingers, he rotated it in his hand to show Quinn's middle school photo "It's my girlfriend. I used to have another photo, but…I like this one better"

Quinn felt her lower lip quiver at the loving gesture the tall boy had made.

"Why? She looks terrible," Quinn lamented, turning away from the reminder of her past.

"You think so? 'Cause I think it's the first one where you can_ really_ see her."

Quinn's eyes fluttered open and closed, trying to fight back the tears rising from within. She sighed as Finn raised his hands to hold her cheeks and brought their lips together. The kiss was chaste and familiar. Finn's lips were like a security blanket. They were warm and they made her feel safe. Quinn found comfort in it, kissing him back softly before breaking it and meeting his eyes.

"Thank you," Quinn whispered as she released their embrace.

"I'll see you in Glee rehearsal," Finn whispered back before giving her a reassuring smile and walking off.

Quinn collected herself before walking down the hallway and past three girls who where looking up at a large poster of Lucy Caboosey and chatting away.

"She's, like, an inspiration. One of us. One who overcame," one girl said in awe.

"I always thought she was just some kind of stuck-up bitch, but she's really one of the people."

"Yeah, totally," the third agreed.

"Holy crap, it's her!" the first girl said as Quinn walked by.

"Totally."

"You have our votes, Lucy!"

"Totally!"

A weigh felt like it had been lifted off of her shoulders. Lauren had really done her a favour, whether that was her intention or not. She was no longer scared of her past but could now accept it and herself and move on. Lucy was a part of her and now that everyone knew, she could embrace it.

"Thanks. I'll try not to let you down," Quinn smiled back brightly as the three gossiping girls returned it happily.

Emerging from an adjoining corridor, Lauren moved to Quinn's side and began matching the smaller girl's pace.

"This just in, Jacob Ben Israel's queen poll has you up by 40%. I… suppose I… had that result coming. It's not cool…what I did to you, and I apologise," Lauren said earnestly as the blonde stopped walking and turned to meet her eyes. Lauren looked down at her books that she clutched against her chest and ducked her head in sorrow.

"I respect you," Quinn replied honestly, causing Lauren to lift up her gaze "I had to get a nose job and go on a crazy diet to walk around this school like I owned it. And you just do it"

A smile made its way across the tall brunette's face, "Well, I have to admit…I have considered going blonde."

"I'm not so sure. Red, maybe."

"Ooh, that's a great idea. Red..." Lauren laughed as she put her arm around Quinn's shoulder and the two of them made peace on their way to Glee rehearsal.

* * *

Sitting beside Rachel in the centre of the choir room, all eyes were on them. The last time this had been the case they had been at Rachel's party and had just... Suddenly flashbacks of that night sprung into Quinn's mind, forcing her to close her eyes as the memories bombarded her vision.

Crawling over to be with the girl, sitting beside her, cupping her tanned rosy cheeks in the palms of her hands, feeling her warmth enter through the tips of her fingers...

"This is a song that Quinn and I have chosen to perform in the light of everything that has happened this week," Rachel announced to the rest of the club as Quinn tried to repress her memories for the time being.

Hearing Rachel's voice only made the memories more vivid as the image of Rachel's brown eyes lifting to meet hers and then closing as the small brunette leaned forward and brushed their lips together played on repeat in her head. _Why are you thinking about her? You're with Finn. Finn loves you and you love him. But then why didn't I feel fireworks when I kissed him? I felt it when I kissed...No! no, this is God testing you. I love Finn, and together, we are going to be prom king and queen. _

As the strumming of the acoustic guitar filled the room, Quinn shook her head in the hopes of ridding herself of the memories and regaining control of her thoughts, before singing the opening line of their mash-up.

Closing her eyes, Quinn focused on the lyrics as she blocked out the world around her.

_"Never insecure until I met you,_

_Now I'm being stupid._

_I used to be so acute to me,_

_Just a little bit skinny._

_Why do I look to all these things,_

_To keep you happy?_

_Maybe get rid of you,_

_And then I'll get back to me."_

That was it. That's what she had to do. Rachel was a distraction. She was not only distracting Finn but also herself. She needed to get rid of her for the sake of her relationship. They shouldn't be friends. They couldn't be.

As Quinn finished her lines she tilted her head to her left to face the girl in question. Rachel had begun singing her verse and was closing her own eyes. Listening to the brunette's sweet voice, Quinn shuddered as a hot flush ran through her body. _What is wrong with me? Why does she have this effect on me? _

_"My outsides look cool,_

_My insides are blue._

_Every time I think I'm through,_

_It's because of you._

_Iv'e tried different ways,_

_But it's all the same._

_At the end of the day,_

_I have myself to blame."_

As Rachel opened her eyes, she could feel Quinn's gaze burning into her side. Turning to her right, she saw her new favourite colour; hazel. Both girls stared intensely for those few seconds before Quinn tore away and faced the rest of the people in the room.

Rachel followed and finished singing her lines.

_"I feel pretty,_

_Oh so pretty._

_I feel pretty and witty and bright!"_

What Rachel wanted more than anything in that instant, was to change that last lyric to its original one. She wanted Quinn to know how much she meant to her. How much she cared for her. How much she loved her.

As the song ended with both girls singing the chorus in unison, they were met with applause from the whole club. Neither of them reacted at all to it. They were so engrossed in their own thoughts that the only thing either of them could do was sit in silence and wait for the sound to die out.

"That was wonderful girls, well done!" Mr Shue clapped as the bell rang out "Everybody go get your t-shirts ready and meet back in the auditorium in half an hour."

The glee club filed out as they babbled on about the shirts they had made and would wear. As Santana passed Rachel, she placed her hand on her shoulder and gave her a quick wink before walking in the opposite direction to everyone else out of the choir room.

Rachel smiled shyly at the Latina's vote of confidence and then turned to face a confused and shell-shocked Quinn. She had watched the exchange curiously until curiosity was replaced with shock at the Latina's actions.

_What was that? Did she just... No, Santana hates Rachel! She wouldn't...They couldn't ...Was something going on between them? _Quinn's mind raced and her blood boiled as a familiar emotion burst inside of her; jealousy.

Rachel stood up and turned toward the exit when Quinn's hand reached out and clasped hers.

Looking down to meet the conflicted emotions swirling in the blonde's eyes, Rachel raised a questioning eyebrow, prompting Quinn to say something about the exchange and why she was not holding her hand, preventing her from following the Latina. Quinn looked away as she released the tanned hand without any explanation as to why she had reached for it in the first place. The blonde also stood before brusquely heading out the door and following the rest of the club, leaving Rachel standing alone in the choir room with a thousand unanswered questions running through her mind.

* * *

"Uh, is everyone here?" Mr Shue asked as he approached all the Glee kids stage side in the auditorium.

"Not everyone," Rachel called out emerging from the rows of chairs. "I wanted to thank you guys for my Barbravention. And I have an announcement to make. I went to my doctor and…I cancelled my appointment. And then I went home and I made this," Rachel laughed as she popped open her jacket buttons to unveil a white shirt with NOSE written across her chest.

Mr Shue and her team mates clapped happily and smiled broadly, but none as much as Quinn. She was so proud of Rachel for having the strength to conquer her fears and embrace herself for the amazing person she was.

"So, unfortunately I can't join in on today's dance number. My doctor said I have to stay away from vigorous choreography while my nose heals. So thanks for being patient. And, Finn, next time, watch out for the schnoz," Rachel joked as she pointed toward her now healed nose and looked at the tall boy and the goofy half grin that spread across his face.

"Where's Santana?" Artie questioned, noticing his girlfriend looking around the group for the feisty Latina. Brittany's eyes drooped sadly at the thought of her best friend not showing up because of the shirt she had given her. _Did I scare her away? I know she's afraid of telling people but nobody will judge her in Glee club. I probably shouldn't tell Lord Tubbington though because he'll upload it to his blog and then everyone will know..._

"She's probably just late," Rachel informed them hopefully as soon as she saw the sombre look on Brittany's face. "She told me she was coming."

Quinn frowned at the mention of the other brunette and the news that she and Rachel had been closer than she knew. That familiar feeling returned as Quinn too stretched up on her toes to look for the Latina in the seating area of the auditorium.

Brittany looked up at Rachel and gave a small smile that Rachel returned.

"Well, she can join in when she comes," Mr Shue said as he pointed to the stereos, "hit it!"

Rachel stood stage side and watched them all perform Lady GaGa's 'Born This Way' whilst one by one they removed their jackets to reveal their greatest insecurity written on their t-shirts.

Just as Quinn was throwing her jumper into the empty seats of the auditorium, Rachel heard footsteps from behind her and turned to see the last member of the club approaching her, looking slightly on edge.

"So I hear you're keeping your nose Pinocchio," The Latina joked at seeing the shorter girl's t-shirt.

"Yes I am. This week has taught me that true beauty comes from acceptance of yourself. When you can love yourself completely, despite all your flaws and insecurities, and aren't trying to conform to the masses or appeal to anybody else, that is when you are truly beautiful."

"Oh God, spare me the life lesson. If your Broadway career falls through you could get a job writing hallmark cards you are _that_ cliché."

"Noted. Why were you late?"

Santana looked down at her clothes before looking back up into the a concerned brown gaze. "I had to do some thinking. Why aren't you dancing? Afraid that Finn will kill you this time?"

Both girls giggled animatedly before Rachel slapped the taller brunette's shoulder.

"Santana! Don't be mean!"

"Calm down princesa, I was only kidding. But seriously though, you should stay away from him. Not only when he's dancing but in general."

Rachel rolled her eyes as a smile tugged on her lips. "Did you just call me a princess in Spanish? Isn't that kind of an endearing nickname? You must be losing your touch," she said smugly, crossing her arms and lifting her chin.

"Well, seeing as I gave it to you because sometimes you're a royal pain in the ass-"

The stomping of Rachel's foot cut the Latina off before she could finish her quip. Santana roared with laughter as Rachel gave her a look that resembled Mercedes' after her tots were taken away, until Santana poked her in the ribs, beckoning Rachel to laugh too.

"Oh my gosh pequeña niña, you really are too much!"

Rachel playfully nudged Santana's shoulder with her arm before looking back to the stage. Her expression softened and her smile widened as she saw Quinn dancing around with LUCY CABOOSEY sprawled across her front. She had heard about the posters that Lauren had put up and how it had backfired, giving Quinn more confidence and the lead for prom queen.

"Want to join them?" Rachel asked excitedly as she looked back at the Latina who was fidgeting nervously with her zip.

Santana looked at the group of people that she had grown to love like family before her gaze locked onto the tall dancing blonde that had stolen her heart.  
Looking down at her torso, she unzipped her jacket and threw it aside, bringing the Lebanese t-shirt to surface.

Rachel looked intently at the shirt and then back up into nervous brown eyes. "I thought you were Hispanic?"

"I am. Brittany made it for me...she thought it said..."

Rachel's eyes softened at the blonde's sweet gesture. "Well then let's go show her how wonderful it looks on you."

Santana flashed her a quick grin before exhaling loudly and nodding in agreement. Before Santana could react, she was being dragged onto the stage by an eager Rachel before standing in front of their friends and turning to reveal to them their shirts.

Seeing her custom made t-shirt on Santana, Brittany stopped dancing and ran toward the two girls, hugging them tightly, before pulling them along the train of dancers and into the song. As the song progressed, both Rachel and Santana shared a shy wink as they belted out GaGa's lyrics together.

_"No matter gay, straight, or bi,  
Lesbian, transgender life,  
I'm on the right track baby,__  
I was born to survive."_


End file.
